An Untold Legend
by NovelistServant
Summary: They were both lonely, both young, and both dead. And they've been nearly inseparable ever since they've met.
1. A Duel

The sun was starting to set and Miguel was humming to himself as he climbed up the little set of stairs before the front door of his home. The Rivera home of the Land of the Dead was different than the one in the Land of the Living; it was tall and pink and circled around a courtyard. The tall part of the building was three floors tall and was the homey-part of the property, while the rest of the one-level building was the workshop. There was a professional entrance for customers on the other side of the house, but Miguel was using the family entrance.

He opened the door and smiled at the living room before him. The walls were a soft white and the floors a pale wooden floor, mostly covered by one huge multi-colored Aztec-themed rug. On the left side of the room, Coco and Victoria sat on the couch; Coco was fixing an apron and Victoria was reading a book. On the right side of the room, the twins, Oscar and Felipe were sitting at a small table and chairs and playing a game of checkers. Farther into the room and down the hall, Miguel could barely make out Rosita in the kitchen, cooking dinner.

" _Hola_ , Riveras!" Miguel greeted with a wave of his skeletal hand.

A chorus of " _hola_ "s followed and Coco looked up and scooted over on the couch to make room for her great grandson. Miguel sat his guitar down gently by the couch's arm and sat and hugged his Mama Coco.

"How was your day, Mama Coco?"

"It was nice, very quiet today." Coco answered, keeping a polte eye on Miguel, but still working on the apron. "How was your day, _mijo_?"

"Pretty good." Miguel answered with a shrug.

"Ah, NO!" Felipe yelled with a smile on his skull as his twin stole his last three checker pieces with one clever move.

"Ah, HA!" Oscar cheered and jumped up from his seat and did a little dance. "I win this round, _hermano_!"

"I want a rematch!"

"After dinner." Rosita called as she walked into the living room. " _La cena está lista_."

Coco tucked her needle into the apron for safe keeping and stood up with Miguel. Rosita rushed to the youngest Rivera and gave him her usual bear-hug. The twins led the way into the kitchen and Victoria finally tore her eyes away from her book, closed it with a snap and sat it on the opposite couch-arm of the guitar.

Miguel walked into the large kitchen to find Imelda placing a huge plate of tamales on the packed table and she smiled at her family. After everyone washed up quickly at the little well just outside the kitchen door and Julio and Hector came inside, everyone was soon sitting around the table, chatting away about their day and enjoying Imelda and Rosita's cooking.

On one side of the table, Hector was speculating with Miguel on a new song he was writing.

"I've hit another writer's block, I'm afraid. I'm stuck after the first chorus."

"Do you know the notes, or just the lyrics?"

"I have the melody, just not the words."

"Maybe the song could be about how the guitar sings." Miguel's eyes grew wide and said, " _Espera_ , nevermind! I have an idea!"

Hector laughed as the teenager muttered words under his breath and was itching to get some paper and a pen, but knew Imelda would not approve of him leaving the table. Rosita was listening and giggled at the men, happy to see their creativity flourish in such a way never allowed in life.

Meanwhile, Oscar and Felipe were picking on Victoria about her newest choice of reading.

"I just wanted to try something different." Victoria said calmly as she quietly ate some rice.

" _Si_ , but this is radically different."

"Rather than facts and history, you chose a cheesy love story of…"

"It is NOT cheesy!" Victoria argued, finally snapping and making the twins laugh at her enthusiasm. "It is romantic, something you two have NO knowledge of!"

Julio wiped his white mustache clean with his cloth napkin and watched his wife listen to Imelda patently as the business woman ranted about a difficult customer.

"... seemed to think just a little polish could change the color, NO! It CANNOT! If he really wants his boots to be darker, I should have used entirely different leather, and I'll bet my femer he won't pay for a new pair of boots! _Lo juro_ , when he told me he changed his mind I nearly…"

Coco glanced at Julio and froze at his staring and smile. It was his way of saying "I love you" a million times a second: that love-struck stare he gave her, like he was looking at a goddess. Coco's patience and love was what captured Julio so much, and watching her practice that trait with her mother, once again, Julio just couldn't help but stare.

Once Imelda was finished telling whoever would listen of what she was going to do to the rude customer, she took in a deep breath and said calmly,

"Anyways, Miguel, what did you do today?"

Miguel, who was sitting on Imelda's other side, swallowed some water and answered, "Well, I went to the fountain and played for a while, but it got too crowded around lunch, so then I just walked around."

"Found anything new?"

Miguel, still somewhat new to the Land of the Dead, used most of his free time, when not playing music, exploring and venturing off as boldly as he desired. Imelda had done the same when she first died and told Miguel he could explore, as long as he was home by sundown.

"Sort of. I saw a pretty cool duel."

Hector drank some coffee and asked, "A duel?"

Miguel nodded. " _Si_ , there was this one part of the town where fencers and other fighters dueled on a wooden stage and people watched. It was kinda interesting, but there was this one guy who kept challenging people and no one could beat him. He had a big sword and wore parts of silver armor. I think he was a _comandante_ in life."

Hector nodded, understanding, and Miguel went on with his story.

"Pretty quickly, no one wanted to fight him and he was kinda ruining it. I got the feeling it was supposed to be for fun, but he was taking it too seriously. I was just about to move on when one woman yelled, 'She could beat you! Come on, _seniora_ , you can do it!' A few more people agreed and pushed a girl a little older than me on the stage."

Imelda stiffened at this and Victoria and the twins started to listen, too. Miguel was fourteen when he died, so the thought of someone fifteen or so fighting grown and experienced soldiers and warriors in an unfair competition was unnerving.

"What were they thinking, sending a girl of that age to fight in such a rough competition?" Victoria asked.

"I thought the same thing, Tia Victoria." Miguel answered. "But the girl looked like she wasn't scared and the man only sneered at her and said he'd never fight a girl."

Imelda's eyes flashed at this and the men at the table ooed softly, knowing better than to hold such stereotypes about women; a lifetime with any Rivera woman proved just that. Victoria huffed and Rosita listened even more intently, excited to hear the rest.

"Then suddenly, the girl pulled out some sort of weird weapon. It was kind of like a long knife or a short sword, but it was curved, almost like a crescent."

"Was it an elven sword?" Victoria asked.

Miguel shrugged, not knowing what his aunt had just said. "Could be. Anyways, she drew it so quickly the big guy did know what was happening. She sliced all around him, and at first I thought she was trying to scare him, but after they were still for a few seconds, his armor fell right off! His straps had been sliced! He was furious and they started to duel, but she kept blocking him and dodging and moving around him. It was actually really cool!"

"I wish I could have seen it!" Oscar said.

"Me, too!" Felipe added.

"And then, just when the big guy was about to strike, the girl sliced his skull off of his spine and then kicked the rest of his skeleton off the stage! He went flying everywhere and the crowd laughed and cheered like crazy; he never got back up on the stage."

"Wow!" Hector awed. "And you said she looked like she was your age?"

Miguel nodded and continued to eat. Rosita and Imelda were wonderful cooks and it was clear why Mama Elena's food was always so tasteful in the living world. Miguel felt a twinge of pain at remembering his grandmother, but it was replaced with happiness by good memories of her and her family.

"Why were they fighting like that to begin with?" Rosita asked, not out or rudeness, but out of curiosity.

Miguel shrugged. "I think it was just for fun. You know, sparring. Like when people sing or dance in a competition for fun."

"Seems like an odd form of entrainment." Victoria commented.

"Hm, not really." Hector said. "I can understand why people would want to display their skills like that. You spend so much time and energy perfecting what you love, it's one thing to do it for yourself, but to have someone see what you can do and like it…"

Miguel nodded, understanding his grandpa's logic from a musician's standpoint. Imelda also nodded and added,

"I felt the same way when first making shoes. Coco's face when she first tried on her boots! I'll never forget it!"

Coco would have blushed, if she had blood to rise to her cheeks, but instead her facial expression said all that needed to be said and she ate her meal to to try to hide it.

The meal went on steadily until a few minutes later, Hector gasped so loudly she made Victoria and Julio jump and the twins clang onto each other.

Imelda glared at her husband and asked, "What?!"

"I've got it!" Hector yelled happily and wolfed down the last of his food before running for his guitar and sitting on one of the chairs in the living room.

"I can sing to the moon,  
I can sing for the stars,  
But to see your smiling face  
Is all I need to go on."

Hector played around with the words, not satisfied at all with the results, and Miguel, sensing that it was safe to do so, ran off into his room and grabbed his journal and a pencil and scribbled down his new ideas for a song. Rosita chuckled at the boys' excitement and at Imelda, who held her head and muttered,

"Guess dinner's done."


	2. Genoveva

The plaza is always crowded; it's the heart of the Land of the Dead and held so many little shops, parties, festivals, competitions and many more events that it was no wonder that it was never quiet. Though Miguel often found himself playing there, he preferred a big fountain encircled by condos and such. It was relatively quiet and hidden away usually occupied by passing _alejibre_ and couples on dates and other artists, painting pictures or writing stories or singing songs. And that's where the teenager was today.

He plucked his guitar and muttered the words he thought up a few days ago to see if they matched up. The song was mostly instrumental and made Miguel test his guitar-skills. He was grateful for that, there were still a few things he wanted to improve of, but then again so did Hector.

Miguel hummed along to the guitar as he did more than just plucking and played beautifully.

"My love is _mi familia_ and my life is full of _musica_.  
Though I have very little, I feel like I have everything.  
I hum my tunes, I dance in my shoes, I string some words together.  
And led my guitar along as he and I sing…"

Miguel then let his fingers take control and he played the guitar as best as he could. The song was truly beautiful, the instrument playing many different cords and notes and it seemed to entrance anyone that listened. A few people listened; an old couple who were passing by, a few kids who were quietly playing hide-and-seek, and a teenage girl.

The young woman wore a red-plaid crop top that covered her ribs and tied in a little knot. She also wore dirty brown pants and matching hiking boots. Her black hair and in a pixie-cut and she had a belt loosely around her hips that held a long, curved dagger. Her skull was yellow-ish, but other than that her skeleton looked well in shape.

Miguel sang one last verse and let how guitar finish the song gracefully. The couple and teenager clapped politely and the couple walked on. The girl stepped forward to compliment the boy.

"Nice song."

Miguel looked up and smiled. " _Gracias_." It took a moment for Miguel to realise that he had seen the girl before. He blinked and said slowly, " _Discuple_ … did you… uh, fight on a little wooden stage the other day?"

The young woman smiled and shrugged, trying at stay humble. " _Si_ , only for a little while."

Miguel leaned against his guitar that balanced between his arms and lap and rested his chin on the folded arms. "You were incredible, the way you took down that _pendejo_!"

The woman sat next to Miguel and giggled a thank you. " _Mi nombre es Genoveva_."

" _Soy Miguel_."

The two shook hands and Miguel twindled his guitar for a moment. It looked much like his Papa Hector's guitar, but it was brown and smaller, but the head was decorated as a skull with no gold tooth and white paint was used for the markings and such. Genoveva looked at the guitar, intrigued, and wondered if Miguel was comfortable talking about his family, but decided against it; he probably had enough of stares and questions. Why else would he be here, rather than the plaza?

"So, was that a new song?" Genoveva asked politely.

Miguel nodded. " _Si_. It still needs some work."

"I thought it was pretty good."

" _Gracias_." Miguel repeated with a smile that brought out his dimple. "You play?"

Genoveva shrugged. "I like to sing and dance, but I never learned how to play an instrument."

"Wanna learn?"

Genoveva looked up at the boy her age and Miguel was grateful he could no longer blush. He wasn't sure why that question came out of his mouth, but it seemed like a fun idea, and…

Genoveva smiled and Miguel relaxed a little.

" _Bueno_."

Miguel smiled and handed Genoveva his beloved guitar. She gave a look similar to the one he gave the mariachi all those years ago.

 _"Show me what you got,_ muchacho _. I'll be your first audience."_

Miguel wished he had taken the time in life to thank the man, but knew he would in death one day. That _mariachi_ guitarist was the first person who trusted him with such a delicate instrument and believed he could make it big if he wanted to. To the man, it may have just been a motivational speech carried away, but to the boy, it was everything at that moment. Miguel was grateful to give a moment like that to Genoveva.

She took the guitar carefully and crossed her legs to hold the guitar. Her fingers were gentle on the instrument, but seemed to want to hold the neck like the handle of a weapon, but Genoveva wasn't having it, making her fingers move unnaturally.

Miguel noticed her struggled and moved forward to touch her. "Here… uh…"

Miguel was unsure of Genoveva was okay with being touched or moved, but she nodded her skull, given Miguel permission to teach her any way possible, and so Miguel moved her fingers to hold the guitar properly and Genoveva understood what to do and was grateful that her hands could adapt quickly for the purpose.

The two spent most of the day at the fountain. Miguel taught Genoveva how to warm up her fingers and pick properly before going on to the cords and notes. By the time the sun was setting behind the buildings and making tall shadows throughout the city, Genoveva's bones ached, but she had learned a lot. A far off clock and it's bells told the tennagers that it was five o'clock.

"Great job, _amiga_!" Miguel praised and put the guitar strap over his shoulder. "But I have to go home."

"Okay. Can I walk with you?" Genoveva asked as she stood up and popped her fingers.

Miguel gave her a puzzled looked, but liked the idea of spending more time with his new friend, so he nodded and said, "Sure, why not?"

Miguel walked on, followed by Genoveva, and it was comfortably easy to talk. It was mostly just small talk and opinions on common things, but it was still nice. When they reached Miguel's street, he said,

"You're doing well on the guitar. I could teach you some more, if you want."

" _Bueno_!" Genoveva said happily. "It's funny, I've been around for so long and never learned such a common skill."

"How old… I mean, when did you… um, no, I mean…" Miguel rambled on, not sure how to ask, but Genoveva just laughed.

"I died when I was sixteen in 1883 if that's what your asking, _amigo_."

Miguel stopped walking and gasped at Genoveva. "You're over a hundred years old?!"

Genoveva raised a brow at the young musician. "Does that bother you?"

Miguel shook his hands and said quickly, "No, no, no! I'm just… impressed, is all."

Genoveva smiled and rubbed the top of his head, ruffling his hair. "Good. Who else is gonna teach me guitar?"

She finished with a twirl of Miguel's skull on his neck, like a top, and he laughed and they walked on.

"So, do you want to meet at _la fuente_ tomorrow, or…"

"I pass by here to get there, actually." Genoveva informed and suggested, "We could walk together."

"Sounds great." Miguel said with a smile and the two saw the Rivera sign over the house.

Once again, Genoveva was tempted to make a comment, but bit what was her bottom lip in life, but was now her upper jaw, and she only watched Miguel walked up the stairs and put a hand on the doorknob.

" _Buenas noches_ , Genoveva."

" _Buenas noches_ , Miguel."

They exchanged a quick wave and Miguel walked into his home. He jumped at the sight of nearly every dead family member crowded in the living room, watching him come in, all except for Victoria, who was reading her book on the couch. Miguel noticed that the little crowd was close to the front window.

"Uh… _hola_." Miguel said shyfully.

"Who were you talking to?" Rosita asked excitedly, her fists shaking with joy by her chin.

" _Qué_?"

" _Esa chica_." Imelda pressed, having trouble hiding her own excitement.

"You were watching me?!" Miguel asked, clinging to his guitar strap nervously.

"I wasn't." Victoria said, her skull still in her book.

Oscar and Felipe sneered at her. "Yeah, has the two ran away yet or are they still doomed to…"

" _Vete al carajo_." Victoria muttered under her breath and buried herself even deeper into her book.

"So…" Hector leaned in, but Miguel wasn't going to play along, so Hector went on. "Who is she?"

"She's that girl I saw at the duel." Miguel answered as he walked by his family and laid his guitar against the couch carefully. "Her name is Genoveva."

"And…" Julio pressed on.

"And?" Miguel asked, turning to his great grandfather.

"And!" Rosita yelped and grabbed Miguel by the shoulders. "What's her favorite color? What's her favorite food? What does she do for a living? Does she have any hobbies? Where is she from? What's her…"

" _Cálmese_ , Rosita." Imelda said sternly with a smile. "The child just met her today."

"Besides, we don't want to ruin his chances." Felipe teased.

"Chances of what?" Miguel asked.

"Chances with Genoveva, of course!" Oscar answered and high-fived his brother.

"Ew, NO!" Miguel exclaimed with a wince. "She's my friend!"

"That's how your great grandfather and I began." Coco said, giggling over her great grandson's reaction.

Miguel shook his head with a small smile he was trying to kill and he walked over to the coat-rack to hang up his hoodie.

Imelda clapped her hands together and rubbed them. "Well, if we want to eat sometimes tonight, Rosita and I must get to work. Miguel, would you mind setting the table?"

Miguel followed the women into the kitchen and he was grateful that his Mama Imelda made them drop it. The entire time the boy sat the table, Imelda watched him carefully. He seemed normal, so no, he didn't like her that way. At least, not yet.

But Imelda was grateful that he finally had a friend in the Land of the Dead. He had a couple of neighbors he could talk to and and his family of course, but the two years Miguel had been dead had been a bit lonely and quiet. He had used the time to get to know his deceased family properly and adjust to the new terrain and accept his faith. He seemed more at home than ever before, and Imelda was glad that he had someone closer to his age to talk to.

There was no more mention of Genoveva until the next morning when Miguel got dressed relatively quickly and rushed to the door with his guitar over his shoulder.

"Be back by dinner, _mijo_." Coco said to the boy as he opened the door; she was sipping a cup of coffee and listening to Julio read a newspaper on the couch.

"Love you, Mama Coco! Papa Julio!"

Miguel opened the door and saw Genoveva running down the street. He called her name and closed the door behind her, running down the stairs. Genoveva called Miguel name out as Coco, Julio, Rosita, Oscar and Felipe, and Hector watched from the front window. The two teenagers high-fived in greeting and started to walk down the street together and chatted away. The adults watched until they were gone and Imelda and Victoria walked into the living room to see an unusual scene before them.

"Have you nothing better to do than spy on the boy?" Victoria asked as she walked to the couch and sat to resume her book.

They turned from the window and Rosita squealed, "He was just with that girl again!"

"Genoveva?" Imelda asked.

" _Si_!"

" _Oh Dios mío_ ," Imelda huffed with a roll of her eyes. "Miguel isn't going to marry her, you know."

"Life doesn't end when you're dead, _mi amor_." Hector said wisely and picked up his own guitar. "I think I'll play a bit at the plaza today."

"Be back by dinner." Imelda said and allowed him to kiss her on her cheekbone before he left as well.

Miguel was back for dinner, but Coco and Julio watched and saw Genoveva walking with him. The teenagers called their goodbyes and the adults noted how she watched Miguel enter the home, as if determined he made it safely. They greeted Miguel and tried to cover up the fact that they were spying, but their efforts were fruitless and the boy only shrugged it off and asked how their day went.

For nearly a week, Genoveva walked by the Rivera shoe shop and Miguel joined her. Most of the time they went to the fountain and Miguel had lessons there, but sometimes they ventured on and simply enjoyed journeying around the magnificent city together. Miguel found that he enjoyed and relied on Genoveva's company more and more each day. It was nice to teach what he had learned and to talk to someone closer to his age. Genoveva felt the same way, not having a friend like Miguel in a very long time.

After two weeks of lessons, Genoveva slowly played Chad Vermillion's _The Little Fugue in G Minor_ for Miguel and stopped when she knew no more. They were sitting on the fountain near sunset and Miguel applauded for his friend.

"That was really good, Veva." Miguel praised and took his guitar back.

" _Muchos gracias, mariachi_." Genoveva replied cheekily. "I have a pretty great teacher."

Miguel only smiled and tuned his guitar. "I have a great teacher, too. My Papa Hector has taught me so much since I've died. Before him I just taught myself."

"I heard rumors that you were good before." Genoveva said before realising what she had said and that her efforts to not talk about Miguel's past had failed. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean…"

Miguel, to Genoveva's surprise, laughed. "It's okay, _amiga_ , I don't mind talking about my first visit here."

Genoveva shrugged sheepishly. "I just guessed you were sick of hearing about it."

"Guess everyone's been thinking along the same lines as you." Miguel responded. "No one in my family has brought it up, and I've been pretty good about not being recognised."

"So," Genoveva said slowly. "You played with your Papa Hector at the plaza? Back then, I mean."

Miguel nodded. There had been many times since his death that they've played together at the plaza, especially when Miguel was new and getting lessons every day, but he understood that Genoveva was talking about their first performance together.

"What's he like?" Genoveva asked, taking a different course than Miguel thought she would.

"My great-great grandfather?" Miguel asked, just to make sure that they were on the same page. Genoveva nodded and Miguel took a moment to think about his answer, wanting to make sure he described his hero in the best way possible.

"He's the greatest man I've ever known." Miguel stated, looking down at his guitar. "He's not perfect; he lies, and you can't trust him to play checkers fairly."

Genoveva laughed, not sure if Miguel was teasing or not.

"He left his family decades ago and then was killed before he could return home." Miguel went on. "And he fought so hard to try to see his family again. Mama Imelda stayed mad at him until my little visit and it looked like he would be forgotten, but he pulled through. He taught me what it means to make a mistake and make it right. We all screw up, but not everyone knows how to clean up their mess."

Genoveva nodded, understanding. Most skeletons knew Hector was murdered and that he was the real musician, but such details were hidden and not worthy of the public eye, wich many respected, including Genoveva. To be told such information and trusted with it, she felt honored.

"He's brave and loyal and patient." Miguel added. "He's a wonderful father and grand father and understands people in a way no else really does. He's my hero."

"He sounds like a great man." Genoveva complimented.

Miguel looked up at his friend and smiled. " _Si_ , he is. Maybe you can meet him someday."

Genoveva shrugged and looked up at the sky. "It's getting dark."

Miguel nodded in agreement and slid off the fountain. "What about you?"

Genoveva stretched her spine and asked, "Me?"

" _Si_. Who's your hero?"

Genoveva stood with a little bounce from the fountain's edge and started their walk to Miguel's home. "I don't really have one." The young woman said a little too casually for Miguel's liking.

"Really?" He asked cautiously. "No… no _familia_?"

Miguel knew that some skeletons weren't as lucky as him, to have a family in the land of the Dead and Living, and one that loved him so much. He knew people were orphaned, abandoned, separated, rejected, and forgotten and was always careful and sensitive about it.

Genoveva, however, was poised and calm. "No."

There was no coldness in her voice. No sadness, either. And that's what worried Miguel. She had no emotion, it was scary how normal of a fact that was to her. He was about to comment when Genoveva went on.

"I was raised an orphan and was never adopted, and I died before I could have my own family."

"I'm sorry."

Again, Genoveva only shrugged. "It's not so bad. I always find a way to keep myself entertained. In life, I explored and learned how to fight and had a couple of adventures, and I've kept doing so in death."

"Really?" Miguel asked.

Just like how they never talked about Miguel's past, they never talked about Genoveva's past. All Miguel knew was that she was over a century older than him, but it hardly mattered; she was a teenager of both body and spirit.

Genoveva nodded. "I have a couple of stories myself, amigo. I was born in _Ciudad de México_ and traveled through iLa Selva Amazónica/i and crossed to climb the _Cordillera de los Andes_."

"Wow, it's amazing!" Miguel awed as they reached to where tall buildings slowly became houses; they were approaching Miguel's street. "You've been everywhere!"

The street was quiet, making it easy for an old musician to hear the two teenagers from the front steps of his home. Hector was polishing his white guitar when he heard Miguel's voice and turned to where the long street bridged the beginning of the large body of water. It was deep and hardly made any difference, but it made a nice little wall for Genoveva to hop on and balance on as the two walked under Hector's undetected watch.

"Well, it's the alternative." Genoveva told her friend. "Never seeing what's out there or taking risks. You only get one life, you have to live it to the fullest. Nothing changes when your dead."

"It sounds exciting!" Miguel said. "I've explored the city a bit…"

"That's good!"

"But I'd like to see more."

"Anyone would." Genoveva rationalized and stopped and looked down at Miguel. "I could show you, if you want. You've shown me so much…"

"It was just guitar lessons." Miguel said, looking away in embarrassment.

But Genoveva shook her head. "No, it's been much more, _mi amigo_. We could explore the underworld, if you wanted to. Make each day as an adventure! Live our afterlives to the fullest!"

Miguel looked up at her and grinned. "That'd be so cool, but… I have a family, Veva."

Genoveva jumped down next to Miguel and said quickly, "Oh, I don't mean you should pack up and leave everything behind! No! Just, you know, day trips. I promised you'd always be home by dinner."

Miguel laughed and Hector smiled and continued to listen as he polished his instrument.

"I'd like that." Miguel said and the two continued to walk down the street.

Miguel looked up and saw his Papa Hector polishing the guitar with an oily rag, but he knew he was most-likely eavesdropping. Miguel was torn; he could call out his grandfather and tease with him, but that would give Hector the perfect opportunity to embarrass the boy in front of his friend, so Miguel decided to let it go and walked out to Hector politely.

" _Hola_ , Papa Hector!"

Hector looked up and pretended to have just spotted them and waved. " _Hola_ , Miguel. Who's your _amiga_?"

The pair walked up to the elder and Miguel said, gesturing to his friend, "This is Genoveva. Veva, this is my great-great grandfather, Hector Rivera."

"It is an honor, _señor_." Genoveva greeted warmly and held out a hand to shake.

Hector shook her hand and gave it a soft kiss. "The honor is mine, _niña_."

Genoveva looked flattered at the musician's warm greeting and then turned her attention to Miguel. "Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow…"

"Unless," Hector hinted as he stood and stuffed the rag into his pants-pocket. "You would like to join us for dinner?"

Genoveva blinked in surprise and said, "Are you sure? I'd be more than happy to, but…"

"Then say no more, Señoria Genoveva!" Hector said, pointing to the sky and puffing out his ribs, making the teenagers smile. "You will dine with us and you will have a great time!"

Genoveva laughed and saluted. " _Si, señor_!"

Hector opened the door and called, "We've got company!"

Genoveva seemed to shrink to half her size in shyness as Rosita ran from out of the kitchen.

"How wonderful!"

She wrapped Genoveva into her signature bear hug and behind her Imelda watched amusingly. The twins and Julio emerged from the hall and Victoria got up from the couch and closed her book. Before the guest was swarmed by greetings and attention she was not used to, she glanced at her friend and spoke clearly without words.

 _"Help me!"_

Miguel could only shrug and give an apologetic look. He motioned to his family and he said enough to calm Genoveva.

 _"Just go with it."_


	3. Guachimines

The family and their guest had moved the dinner from the dining room to the living room, where they ate Rosita's delicious torta de tres leches and told stories. Julio had just told a hilarious story that forced Genoveva to put her slice of cake down by her feet as not to be tempted to try to eat and choke. Miguel held his ribs one handed and Coco's laugh made Julio's heart flutter.

Genoveva looked around the room of the loving family laughing and smiled at the scene before her. Dinner with the Riveras had been her first home cooked meal in decades, and even if she didn't need to eat anymore, she was grateful that she got to have a square meal for a change and enjoy the great taste and feeling. They were all very kind to her and she didn't feel out of place at all. Rosita made sure she ate all she could hold, Imelda talked to her like she was an adult, and Oscar and Felipe always made her laugh with their little jokes. And Miguel was right by her side the whole time.

Genoveva felt more at home than she ever felt in her entire life and afterlife. She was grateful to have made such great friends with Miguel and, hopefully, with the rest of his family.

Oscar wiped a tear from his skull and looked at Genoveva. "So what about you, _niña_?"

"Got any stories to tell?" Felipe asked the girl.

Genoveva shrugged. "A few, not many as funny as yours…"

"Let's hear one!" Rosita said excitedly, clapping her skeletal hands.

" _Si_!" Julio agreed.

"Please, Veva." Miguel begged, intrigued to hear one of her tales.

"Well," Genoveva said slowly, doing some quick thinking. She knew which story was her favorite, but she wasn't sure if this was the appropriate time to tell it. "I have one…"

"Oh, go on!" Hector said, waving both hands for her to get going.

"I'm sure we'll love it." Imelda said calmly.

Genoveva sighed with a smile. "Alright. I got a really good one, and it's all true.

"Back in the Land of the Living, when I turned _quince_ , I left _Ciudad de México_ , having learned how to fence and fight. I had spent most of my free time exploring the terrain and studying different people and cultures through books, hearing of vast jungles and lands just waiting to be explored.

"I made my name known by cleansing a few villages of criminals here and there, and by the time I made it to _Sudamerica_ , I strayed away from thieves and other villains humans and wanted to take on rumored monsters and creatures that plagued the jungles. Villagers told me of huge _serpientes_ and _jaguares_ twice the size of any normal one, all I've taken down. But there was one rumored _monstruo_ that I was determined to find when I made it to _Cordillera de los Andes_ : a giant bear called Guachimines."

"You traveled all the way to the Andes?" Rosita interrupted with a gasp.

" _Si_." Genoveva answered with a nod. "I loved _las montañas_. There, animals cooperated to live and only took what they needed, but Guachimines isn't like that. He takes what he wants and tore apart _las montañas_ , raping nature and tearing the land apart. And so I made it my mission to find his cave and bring him down. Now, I won't lie, I had quite the big-head at the time, over-flown with compliments and victories. I had my trusted sword with me, my most prized possession, and a confident mind as I combed the terrain for the _monstruo_ cave.

"Then, one day, I found it. A powerful rainstorm had just ended, and higher in _las montañas_ , where it was too rocky for plants to grow but not cold enough for snow, Guachimines' cave hid on a rocky mountainside, the jagged edges acting as a protective fence around the mouth of the cave, decorated with the bones of his victims. I started to creep up there when I stepped on a bone and crushed it. A horrible roar followed and I gasped as an enormous bear unlike any creature I had ever seen. His claws were almost half my size, his paws big enough to crush me. He was brown fur matted in blood and his white mask held a promise of death in his eyes as he advanced on me.

"I drew my sword and stood as steady as I could against Guachimines. He was at least three-times my size and his teeth were strangely sabored. I could see scars from past battled and even an arrow or two splintered into his shoulder, his fur too thick to penetrate."

"Were you scared?" Miguel asked while Genoveva caught her breath.

The girl looked at him. "Scared? Miguel, I was _petrificado_!" She answered with a smile. "I was trembling like a leaf and suddenly questioning everything in my life, like why I thought this was a good idea and why I treated my life so lightly! I knew I had no chance of escaping, Guachimines would've hunted me down until I was his _cena_ , so I decided that if I was doomed to die, that I'd go down fighting.

"Guachimines stood on his back paws and WHOOSH!" Genoveva yelled as she swung an arm, just short of hitting Miguel's skull. "One swipe for my flesh and I dodged him quickly. When he tried again, I swung my sword at his claw and turn and ran, I didn't even take the time to see what I had done! Guachimines roared in pain so loudly my head felt like it was vibrating! I looked back and saw that where the fur was most thin was his paws. He was bleeding and I had my target.

"I ran for the other claw while he was hunched over his pain, but he smacked me away and I fell right into a stone wall. I moved out of the way just in time to avoid a charging beast and turned right around to cut at his claws as he scratched the rock in anger. He turned to me with snapping eyes and launched with his razor sharp teeth. I barely dodged his massive bite and swung my sword at his eye. It didn't even break skin, it only made him mad! My heart felt like it stopped when Guachimines turned to me and I was too slow. SMACK!" Genoveva yelled, clapping her hands together loudly, making her audience jump.

"I felt a pain like none other! I instantly wanted death, but my pride made me run and hide behind a rock as my right side started to bleed. I kept a hand there while my other hand gripped my sword quickly. I tried to focus and I watched Guachimines circle his little patch of land for me, sniffing the air. I was running out of time. I then noticed the cliff that most likely led to a deadly fall. If I could push him off, maybe…

"I ran out of my hiding place before he could find me and he stood again and lifted a claw to strike me. I swung my sword and with a spray of blood, one of his claws fell off! To him, it was like he had broken a nail, but he was furious and would see to it that I die! Guachimines almost bite me, when I slid under his belly and stabbed him right in the heart! He jumped back towards the cliff and was teetering on the edge, my sword still in his chest. I struggled to get up and knew I had to move or I'd fall off, too. I barely got up when he fell and Guachimines swung a claw, trying to catch the floor, but he caught my ribs instead."

"He got your ribs!" Victoria gasped.

Genoveva nodded with a grim expression on her face. "Guachimines died that night, leaving me bleeding on the floor and crying silent tears in pain. I laid on the floor and tried to catch my breath and relax. The clouds started to part and I could see the stars. It was right then and there that I finally felt peace with my death, knowing that I had truly lived, and knew that it was okay to let go. I closed my eyes, and I woke up dead."

The Riviera family was quiet. They weren't sure how to feel about the story. Should they feel sorry for Genoveva, or should they praise her? Miguel was brave enough to speak first.

"So, you took down Guachimines?" He awed. "All by yourself?"

Genoveva smiled. "Sure did."

Victoria raised an eyebrow. Thought she'd never say to to the girl's face, she didn't believe it. The others were a little uncertain, but before they could ask or speculate, Genoveva stood and said,

"I may have lost my ribs that day…"

"And your life." Miguel hinted.

"I took Guachimines', so it was only fair." She said with a shrug. "But I got this."

Genoveva pulled out her long, curved dagger and handed it to Miguel, handle-first. He carefully took it and gave the weapon a closer look. Nailed to a wooden handle, Miguel now saw that the blade wasn't metal, but polished bone.

"This is Guachimines' claw?!"

The adults gasped and came closer around Miguel to look.

Genoveva laughed and said, " _Si_ , it is! I held onto it as I crawled away and woke up to find it in my hand. You see, Guachimines always kept at least a bone of his victims, like trophies. Even if they escaped and lived, they would return close to death with a missing arm or hand or leg. But I'm the only one who took from him, and as far as I know, he's furious and is keeping an eye out for me to get revenge, but the next time we meet, I'm gonna get my ribs back."

And Genoveva lifted her plaid top slightly to show where two of her bottom right ribs were missing, just like in her story. Miguel had never noticed this before, but when she put her top down he now saw how one could see that two ribs were missing in the imprint of the shirt.

"Wow!" Hector gasped when Genoveva sat back down on the couch next to him. "I wish Chicharon's story of losing his femur was that interesting. Maybe then he wouldn't have been so mad at me!"

He and Miguel laughed, leading to Genoveva asking for more details as Miguel handed her back her dagger and Hector told the story.

A little later and the clock in the hall rang it's bell ten times. Though skeletons don't need to sleep, night was still a more mellow time for the Rivera family and Genoveva stood and apologized to Imelda and Hector while Coco and Julio went off to prepare for bed and Rosita walked into the kitchen.

" _Mis disculpas, señor y señora_. I didn't mean to stay so long."

Imelda put a kind hand on her shoulder. " _Está bien, niña_. You are welcome any time and for as long as you wish."

Miguel nodded and added, " _Si_ , thanks for joining us!"

"It was an honor, _mi amigo_." Genoveva said and gave the boy a quick hug. " _Buenas noches_ , Miguel. Señor Hector. Señora Imelda."

" _Buenas noches_ , Genoveva." The three said with a wave goodbye and Genoveva walked out the door, returning the kind wave.

"You've made an interesting friend, _mijo_." Hector said to his grandson.

"Yeah, she's pretty cool." Miguel said with a shrug. "And the way she fought Guachimines! I wish I could have seen that!" He added excitedly.

Victoria shrugged, returning to her book. "I'm not sure I'd believe that _cuento de hadas_ , Miguel."

Miguel turned to his aunt. " _Por qué no_? If talking skeletons and magic animal-spirit-guides exist…"

"I can believe that Guachimines exists, _mijo_." Victoria said from behind her book. "What I can't believe is that a girl her age killed him."

Miguel thought about it for a moment and had to admit, that if the monstrous bear was as big and horrible as Genoveva said, it seemed unlikely that a girl his age could kill him when others failed. However, Miguel's loyalty to his friend made him throw away his doubts, but his Papa Hector spoke before he could.

"While I agree it is unlikely," Hector said calmly. "I don't think she would lie about something like that."

"Besides," Felipe said while he and his brother sat on the couch next to Victoria. "How else did she lose her ribs?"

"And where did she get that dagger if not from Guachimines?" Oscar asked.

"Maybe she lost her ribs another way." Victoria said with her head held high. "Or she found the dagger or obtained it some other way. I'm not saying she's lying; all I'm saying is don't take her too seriously."

Imelda put her hands on her hips and said, "Regardless, she's a very kind woman. I was serious when I said she could come here whenever she wanted."

Miguel hesitated, but then asked with a cringed smile, "Dead serious?"

Imelda rolled her eyes and Oscar and Felipe high-fived; they had taught their nephew well.


	4. El Dorado

Miguel's lessons with Genoveva grew less and less as she explored and trained more and more. He found that she was a lot like Dante and the other _alejibres_ of this world.

She came and went, carefree and adventurous. She was always looking for an adventure or a new place to explore. Though Miguel would like to think that he was an explorer, too, he was restrained to the bubble he discovered he had made for himself in order to get home in time for supper every night. Miguel was careful to please his family so he could keep his freedom, but found that after not seeing Genoveva for two weeks, he was lonely and missed her. She had told him of places in the underworld she had visited in the past, and it seemed like she was on another journey.

Genoveva and Miguel had known each other for almost four months now, and it was strange not to meet up with her on his street every morning and be walked home by her. It was too quiet at the fountain for his liking and he was playing more and more at the plaza and spending more and more time with Hector.

The Riveras noticed this change in Miguel's daily routine and were more troubled about it than they made to be. The twins had enjoyed Genoveva's cut-and-dry sense of humor and how much she liked their jokes, something the rest of the family lacked. Coco and Julio had also grown close to her when she was around, sharing stories and knowledge and wisdom from their many years. Hector had given Genoveva a few tips on the guitar and even played with her once or twice under Miguel's smile. She had popped by every once in a while after the first meal together for more and always highly praised Imelda and Rosita for their cooking, asking exactly how they did it, never being much of a cook. Even Victoria had warmed up to the teenager; Genoveva had read many books before leaving Mexico City in life and Victoria found comfort into talking to another bookworm.

Abandonment was not a subject the shoe-makers took lightly. Still sore about past mistakes and afraid of history repeating itself, they worried that Genoveva may never return. Perhaps she was not what they thought she was and she got bored and moved on. Or worse… what is something dreadful had happened to her? What if Genoveva had been forgotten? The adults did not voice out their worries in fear of the youngest hearing them. He was upset enough as it was without his family's opinions.

Then, after nearly two weeks of Genoveva's disappearance, Miguel was plucking at his guitar in front of his house, sitting on the frost steps. Most of his family were busy in the workshop, making shoes, all except for Coco and Hector, who were talking pleasantly in the house while sipping coffee. As morning was waning and noon was approaching, Miguel thought he heard someone singing from far away, but it was a voice he had never heard before.

" _Pero si vieras  
Como son lindas estas borracheras  
Y ándale._"

" _Pero hasta cuando, dejan tus padres de andarte cuidando, y ándale._ " Miguel muttered/sing to himself. He looked all around and had his guitar play the melody.

" _Cada vez que vengo a verte  
Siempre me voy resbalando_;"

The singing got closer and closer, but Miguel just couldn't see anyone, until an old friend turned a corner a few feet away, and he saw Genoveva singing for only him to hear.

" _O es que tengo mala suerte  
O es que me está lloviznando  
Y ándale_."

Genoveva saw him and smiled. Miguel smiled back and stood as he played. She kept on singing and walking down the street.

" _Pero si vieras  
Seco mi chaco en mi higuera floreando  
Y ándale_."

Miguel dueted with her.

" _Pero si cuando  
Seco mi chaco en mi higuera floreando  
Y ándale_."

Inside the house, Hector and Coco could hear Miguel playing. They left their mugs of coffee behind and pulled back the curtain of the front window to see Miguel carefully walking down the stairs as he played for Genoveva.

"Papa! It's Genoveva!"

" _Si_ , she's back!"

" _Me dices que soy un necio  
Porque me ando emborrachando,  
Y a pesar de tus deprecios,  
Yo quiero seguir tomando, y ándale._"

The two teenagers sang together. They met at the street and Genoveva put down a sack she had over her back and began to dance with Miguel. It was nothing fancy or classy at all, but a nice little circling around each other and two-step, but what really mattered was the smiles on their faces and the joy expelling from their mouths.

" _Pero si vieras  
Como son lindas estas borracheras  
Y ándale."_

 _Genoveva sang and bowed to the musician, giving him his spotlight._

 _"Pero que bellas  
Paso las horas vaciando botellas  
Y ándale."_

 _Finally, the two harmonised together and belted for the world to hear,_

 _"Pero si vieras  
Como son lindas estas borracheras  
Y ándale!_"

Miguel strung two last notes on his guitar and the two laughed. Miguel swung his guitar so it hung from his shoulder and down his back and he gave his friend a hug.

"I missed you, Genoveva."

She hugged him back and closed her eyes. "I missed you, too, Miguel."

"Genoveva!" Hector hollard from the door and Coco waved to them as the teenagers separated.

" _Hola_ , Señor Hector! Hola Señora Coco!" Genoveva called back and picked up her heavy sack.

Miguel led her up the little flight of stairs to the door and Coco asked as they entered,

"Where have you been, _niña_? We were worried you had gotten hurt."

"I'm sorry I troubled you, _señora_ , my spirit-guide… well… guided me away on an expedition." Genoveva apologized as she sat on the couch and placed the heavy sack by her feet. "I actually have something in here for you three, hold on."

Miguel exchanged looks with his grandparents, who looked just as confused as he felt. Genoveva rummaged through the sack until she pulled out a tiny golden chest and held it out to Coco.

"For you, _señora_."

Coco first admired the pretty box she had been given before opening it. Her father and grandson watched from either side of her and they awed at two golden hoops that laid on a red cushion. They were both gold, but one was encrusted with tiny green jewels and the other was smoother and rounder.

"Oh, Genoveva," Coco sighed and placed a hand over her chest. "They're beautiful. _Gracias_!"

" _De nada_." Genoveva replied. "They're bracelets."

Coco look out the smooth bracelet from the box and slipped it on her bony wrist. It surprisingly fitted well and Coco's eyes shined as she look at it.

"Oh, _muchos gracias, señora_!" Coco suddenly sat next to Genoveva and hugged her tightly.

The teenager hugged her back and muttered into Coco's shawl how it was no trouble at all and how happy she was that Coco liked it. When the women let go of one another, Genoveva looked for the boys' gifts while Coco ran off to show her husband her new jewelry.

Genoveva pulled out a little brown sack that fitted into the palm of her hand and gave that it Miguel and then rummaned again for a small leather box and gave that to Hector. Hector opened it and saw a golden tie-pin that was rectangular and pinched the suit or tie, and t was decorated with a golden skull with ruby eyes. Miguel untied the little sack and poured half-a-dozen golden guitar picks with music notes carved into them.

"Wow!" Miguel gasped and sat next to Genoveva. He placed his guitar on his knee and tested a pick out; it worked just as well as a wooden or plastic one or a bony finger. " _Gracias_ , Veva!"

" _Si, gracias, señora_." Hector said kindly to her as he pinned his new accessory to his jacket, just below his handkerchief. "You didn't have to do all of this."

Genoveva waved away Hector's comment and said, "I was happy to do it! I'm just glad you like them so much!"

"Genoveva!"

The trio looked at the hall and the twins had been the first to arrive.

"Oscar! Felipe!" Genoveva cheered.

Julio and Rosita were close behind the twins and once greetings were exchanged and people were seated, Imelda and Victoria joined them. Genoveva stood up to make room and dove her hand into her sack again.

It was like Christmas had come half-a-year early. Everyone got a little something from Genoveva: Rosita got a new dress the color of gold, Imelda got golden hairpins encrusted with jewels, the twins got a golden checkerboard, Julio got a golden comb and Victoria got three books belted together and sealed with a golden belt buckle. Everyone was overjoyed and forever grateful to Genoveva for such wonderful gifts and Miguel noticed that she wasn't wearing anything golden and that the sack was empty.

"Hey, what did you get, Veva?" He asked.

Genoveva laughed and said, "I got a new adventure!"

"Where did you go?" Julio asked.

"My spirit-guide, Azul, led me to El Dorado! The City of Gold!" Genoveva announced to the family.

The Riveras all took in a sharp breath at once.

"You found El Dorado?!" Imelda squacked in shock.

"Oh, plenty of people have already found it. Many people who left behind the Land of the Living's El Dorado stayed in the Land of the Dead's." Genoveva answered and sat on the floor next to Miguel, who sat crossed legged, still testing his new picks.

"What was it like?" Rosita asked.

"It was beautiful!" Genoveva answered excitedly. "I wish you all could have come! It was hidden in a vast jungle and most of it was pyramids made of gold. The people lived harmoniously and enjoyed the river that flowed through the city, the vast library that went underground, and the _alejibres_ that made El Dorado their home!"

"There was an underground library?!" Victoria gasped.

"Sort of. It was about _cinco_ levels above ground, but an additional idiez/i levels had been built underground. It was amazing, like being in a quiet, peaceful cave. I could have sat there forever, reading."

"So could I." Victoria sighed happily with her eyes closed, and then snapped them open to read a new book.

"Well, I'm just glad to see that you're safe." Imelda said with a peaceful smile to Genoveva.

There was a chorus of agreement and Genoveva was extremely flattered. She could never recall being… missed before…

"Veva, will you stay for dinner?" Miguel asked the moment the idea came to him.

"Well, I'd like to, but I don't want to intrude…"

Genoveva was immediately dragged away to the kitchen for a hot mug of hot chocolate by Rosita's hand. The second half of the day, Genoveva spent time with the Riveras. Most of then had to go back to work in the shop, but she followed to watch their work and praise them on their craftsmanship. Genoveva had never been big on cooking and cleaning, her Achilles' heel if you will, but she was good about staying at a distant and enjoyed just watching the beautiful shoes being made.

Genoveva eventually wandered off to hang out with Miguel and found him and Hector on the opposite of the courtyard. They waved her over for her to join them and the three played music and joked around until they were called for dinner. Genoveva sat next to Miguel and Imelda, who piled her plate with delicious food that made her mouth water. She was close to cleaning it completely as she chatted with Miguel about El Dorado when Imelda spooned her some more beans.

"Here, _niña_ , have some more."

"No, _gracias, señora_." Genoveva said politely with a small smile.

The loud, cheerful room was filled with fear and silence in an instance; you could hear a pin drop. Genoveva looked around uncontrollably, but Imelda ignored the starting change.

"I asked if you'd like some more." She said sternly, her eyes crackling like fire.

Genoveva swallowed and answered as cheerfully and unafraid as she could. " _Si, gracias, señora_."

Imelda smiled and the world took a collective sigh of relief. "That's what I thought you said!" She said happily and piled poor Genoveva's plate full of rice and beans and other good foods.

Imelda turned to Hector and Felipe and started to talk to his brother while Genoveva looked at Miguel with a pleading look on her face. Skeletons don't get hungry, but they do they full, and Genoveva wasn't sure how much more she could eat. Miguel only smiled and scooped a huge fork-full of beans from her plate onto his. Coco and Julio noticed this from the otherside of the table and started to whisper to each other about their theories.

After dinner the twins played some more checkers and Genoveva and Miguel watched and sat on the floor. Coco and Julio sat on the couch next to Victoria while she read her new book and Imelda and Hector took the rocking chairs by the window. It was quiet, and though Genoveva was entertained by the game of checkers, she looked around the room and paid attention to the little things.

Coco and Julio held hands with their eyes closed, simply enjoying being in each other's company. Imelda was working on a quilt, but was watched by Hector, who starred with his head in his hand. He had a dazed look on his face, one of which Imelda was trying to ignore, but couldn't help but smile at him every once and a while. Rosita came out soom with a plate full of fresh cookie and passed them around to everyone. There was a cozyness in the room that genoveva knew you couldn't find in the nicest palace or the ristes room.

Love.

Genoveva decided that it was love. And she liked it. She decided she would never let it go.

When it is time for Genoveva to leave, Miguel springs up and volunteers to walk her home.

"It's alright, Miguel." She said. "I can walk myself."

"Come on," Miguel said as he put on his guitar. "I owe you for all your escourts home."

Genoveva is tempted to say the reason why she does so, but only shrugs and gestures to Imelda and Hector, leaving up to them.

"It's fine by me." Hector said plainly.

"Just come home immediately, _mijo_." Imelda said sternly.

"I promise!" Miguel called as he opened the door for Genoveva. "Love you!"

" _Buenas noches_ , Riveras!" Genoveva squeezed in quickly as she walked out.

" _Buenas noches_ , Genoveva." Everyone in the living room called, and Miguel closed the door.

It was weird, Miguel felt, to have Genoveva lead and him follow, but he liked it. They walked by the bridge, talked pleasantly about Miguel's activities while Genoveva was gone, and only two minutes away from Miguel's home did the young musician look around at the stacked apartments and condos.

"So, where do you live?"

"Wherever I want." Genoveva said with a shrug, looking ahead and not at Miguel.

He stopped. "You don't have a home?" He asked sadly.

Genoveva turned and smiled, but there was a little bit of pain in her eyes. "You need a family to have a home, _mariachi_."

Miguel could only look at her sadly. He should have known. He had seen people like her before when he made a visit here over two years ago.

 _"We're all the ones with no family to go home to. No photos or ofrendas, nearly forgotten, you know?"_

"Well," Miguel aid slowly. "I could walk you to the docks, if you want?"

Genoveva looked at him curiously. "The docks?" Before Miguel could answer, her eyes got big and she "oh"ed in understanding. "No, I don't live there. Like I said, I live wherever I want."

"You don't have a hut or something?" Miguel asked as he took a step closer to his friend.

Genoveva shook her head. "I'm usually traveling too much to maintain a trash apartment or makeshift hut."

Miguel didn't know what to do. Genoveva was talking about all of this very light-heartedly, but he could see that it did make her sad to not have a family or a home, despite her best efforts to mask her feelings and hurt.

"Then why did you agree to let me walk you home?" Miguel asked.

"I just wanted to spend some more time with you." Genoveva explained. "And I didn't want everyone's pity when I told them I had no home to walk to at night."

Miguel opened his mouth to argue, but then froze. He hated pity. As the youngest dead Rivera, he got plenty of that. He hated the feeling he sometimes got, like his family was watching the back of his skull in sadness. He hated that he would never grow up and stop being treated as a kid, always babied and looked down on. And so he understood Genoveva and closed his mouth.

"Yeah," Miguel said as he nodded. "Yeah, I get it."

Genoveva smiled a true smile. "I knew you would. _Gracias, amigo_."

" _De nada_." Miguel turned to the direction they had just walked in. "I better get home. And don't worry!" He added quickly. "I won't tell anyone."

Genoveva sighed through the bridge of her nose in relief. "Gracias. Do you want to visit _la fuente_ tomorrow?"

" _Si_! I'll meet up with you in front of my place." Miguel agreed, excited for the next day. " _Buenas noches_ , Genoveva."

" _Buenas noches_ , Miguel."

Miguel turned his back on Genoveva and she watched him go down the street until it was out of sight. Genoveva looked around and wondered where she would explore that evening.


	5. That Night

Miguel kept his promise and did not tell his family about Genoveva's living conditions. However, he noticed how much more time she spent with them and was happy to see Genoveva making so many new friends. There time together at the fountain shrunk to hardly at all, but their time together as a whole increased.

The Riveras didn't really eat breakfast, except for perhaps some coffee, but by the time Miguel was ready for the day, Genoveva would be outside, waiting for him. She was dragged into the house so many times, however, that it became customary for her to knock on the door and invited in for a moment. It was a nice little hello for whoever was in the house at the time and soon the two teenagers were off to explore and have fun.

After being invited to dinner so many times, Imelda simply declared her a regular guest and said it was unnecessary to invite her anymore, because she would always come. Genoveva was beyond flattered and knew better to turn down the request, so she walked with Miguel to the shoe-shop and usually stayed well after supper.

Summer came and proved to be a very hot one. It's true that temperature doesn't affect the dead as much as the living, but it could still be uncomfortable. Miguel and Genoveva spent most of their time by the docks, in the river, or playing in the jungle, away from the hot, crowded city. Swimming became a favorite activity, but when the river was too crowded with other skeletons trying to cool down, they explored the little patches of rainforest the _alejibres_ often hid in.

The extremely hot summer also brought new rules for Miguel. Since it cooled down comfortably at night, he was now allowed to go out after dinner again if he wanted to. Dinner, because it was the only meal of the day, was special to the Rivera family. After spending all day apart and busy, they had the night together to laugh and tell stories and simply share a nice meal together. It didn't prevent starvation, but it brought comfort and love to one place for one moment. Miguel, though he'd never say it outloud, would never give that up, and so he and Genoveva usually popped back home for dinner and left again for one last activity.

One night, while it was still relatively warm out, Miguel and Genoveva went swimming, the river being far too crowded to enjoy that day. When they arrived, they were delighted to find it empty apart from drinking alejibre by the shores.

Swimming as a skeleton is interesting. The bones, usually kept together almost like magnets, worked as if the magnets were separated by cloth; the bones still moved and worked well together, but were more flexible and drited farther apart in a way only water could make them due to the floating. At first, Miguel wasn't very good at it and Genoveva had to re-teach him how to swim, but after many nights of swimming in the depths of the river, he was now very good.

Also, they didn't have to worry about breathing anymore, meaning they could go as deep as they wished for as long as they wished and talk and laugh as they did so. They did everything from races to playing tag to splashing to simply wading and looking up at the stars.

Miguel and Genoveva weren't physically tired (no one got tired in the Land of the Dead), but the boy was mentally tired and ready to return home an hour or so before midnight. Genoveva happily swam with him down the river, rather than walking across the city, and they soon saw the bridge that would turn into a street to Miguel's home. Miguel crawled up at a patch of mossy rock and held out a hand for Genoveva, which she took.

They looked up the long flight of stairs that would lead to the bridge, but it broke off several times in zig-zag formation to other streets, obviously inspired by the old Aztec pyramids. They took in a deep breath and started the climb. They were up at the first street when a blue butterfly, decorated with different shades or purple and blue dots on it's wings, landed on Genoveva's shoulder.

"Azul!" The woman said happily and lifted a finger to the little butterfly, scratching under it's chin.

"Azul?" Miguel asked.

" _Si_ , my spirit-guide." Genoveva explained and held her finger for Azul to climb on. She did and Genoveva held the butterfly up to Miguel to take a closer look.

"Oh, well she's really pretty. I wish you could meet my spirit-guide."

"Dante?" Genoveva asked as she placed Azul back on their shoulder and the humans walked on.

" _Si_. He was a good dog, in life and death." Miguel answered.

"He'll turn up; you know how the _alejibres_ are, they go wherever they want."

"I know," Miguel agreed, but did not smile. "But that doesn't mean I miss him any less."

"I get it." Genoveva said and wrapped an arm around Miguel.

It wasn't unnatural for them to walk like this, side-hugging each other, so Miguel returned the kind gesture as they walked on and only let go when they reached more steps. They were still in a poorer area of the city, but would arrive on Miguel's street soon.

Suddenly, Azul grabbed the sleeve of Genoveva's crop-top and tugged with all her might, slowing the skeleton down.

"Azul? Azul, what's wrong?"

"What's up?" Miguel asked, stopping when he noticed that his friend couldn't follow him anymore.

"She's always sending me on journeys." Genoveva answered unsurely. "She obviously wants me to follow her."

Miguel nodded, understanding, but was disappointed and worried that it may be a while until he saw her again. "Well, maybe I'll see you tomorrow?"

"I'll let you know if I have to go away again." Genoveva replied. "You'll know by morning… alright! _Cálmese_ , Azul!" Genoveva started her walk down the stairs and called back to the musician, " _Buenas noches_ , Miguel!"

" _Buenas noches_ , Genoveva!"

Miguel walked up the stairs by himself, wishing Genoveva wouldn't be gone too long this time. He must have been very distracted, because one street up later, Miguel bumped into one man, sitting in a corner in the shadows with an empty bottle in his hand, and quickly turned around to make sure he wasn't hurt.

"Oh! _Perdón, señor_! Are you okay?"

" _Si, si_." A voice growled.

The man wore a brown, tattered jacket that had helped him blend into the brick walls and it went down to his knees. He wore a big _sombrero_ , too, and he stood up and looked down at the boy. It was then that the men recognized each other with a gasp. Miguel yelled in shock but was quickly silenced.

"YOU!"

Before Miguel could react, the man had grabbed Miguel by the neck and held him against the huge bridge. The teenager was gangling so he and the attacker were at eye level and Miguel looked into the face of his old idal.

"Ernesto?!" Miguel choke. "Wh… let me go!"

"No, no I won't do that." He said coldly.

The murderer had changed the half-a-decade since he had last been with Miguel. His once tamed and well kept hair was now wild and mattered and oily. This tiny mustache was unkempt and dripped with the foul stench of alcohol. This jacket covered his white _mariachi_ costume, but even that was torn and dirty and in shambles, only his necktie looked unchanged, still shiny and straight.

Ernesto pulled out a sword from his belt and it was long and typically used for fencing. Miguel couldn't think of the name of it, but he also couldn't think of anything else to be honest.

"As I'm sure you've heard by now, _chamaco_ ," Ernest sneered quietly. "I've lost everything because of you. And now it's time to return the favor."

Miguel surprised himself and smiled. "Still doing your own stunts?"

Ernesto smooth voice chuckled, sending shivers down Miguel's spine. "Your great-great-grandfather has gotten to you, hasn't he? He too smiled when face-to-face with death."

Miguel felt a growl of anger in his throat, but grinned wickedly and answered with pride, " _Si_ , he has."

Ernesto's dark eyes snapped in anger. He wanted to see fear in Miguel's eyes, not love and determination. He raised his sword and Miguel flinched.

Miguel heard a yell, a scream, and he was dropped on the floor. He look up, shaking his damp hair out of his eyes, and saw Genoveva standing in front of him, her curved dagger pointed at a hunched over De La Cruz.

"Keep away from him." Genoveva growled so low, her voice was almost unrecognisable.

Miguel awed at his friend as Ernesto stood straight, scowling at the girl in rage; a tiny crack now laid on his left cheekbone. He covered his anger with an actor's smile and laughed,

"Ah, found yourself a bodyguard, eh Miguel? That's smart, you make a lot of enemies when your famous."

Ernesto and Genoveva ran at each other at the same time and dueled fiercely. De La Cruz was easier at first, like he expected to only fight a child's game, but Genoveva was sharp and quick and on the offense. Once the murderer caught wind of this, his style changed to offense and he was strong, forcing Genoveva to shift to defense, blocking his long sword with Guachimines' claw.

Miguel stole the opportunity to yell and run for help. He yelled to the top of his lungs, knowing that Ernesto would shy away from attention, something polarising from his old lifestyle. He heard the boy's yelling and tried to move to him, but Genoveva was not having it and swung her dagger ferociously. Ernesto was forced to stay focused on blocking off the girl and took a giant swing. Genoveva did a backflip to dodge the attack and blocked him to try to find an opening.

"VEVA!"

Genoveva looked up at the bridge to find most of the Rivera family watching her wide-eyed. Miguel had called her name and looked terrified.

WHAM!

Genoveva was kicked and pushed to the edge of the stairs. She managed to hold on to the edge just before she could fall into the water. Ernesto stood over her; she was not afraid of getting hurt, what she was afraid was leaving her friends to deal with the monster. He lifted a foot to crush her fingers, but Genoveva leaped up into the air, did another backflip, and landed tall on her feet.

Ernesto turned to her and she yelled, "You can't get rid of me that easily!"

"GO, VEVA!" Miguel cheered.

"Come on!" Imelda called over her family's cheering and led the way down the long brick-stairs.

Genoveva attacked like fire, wild and out of control. Ernesto was barely blocking her off. She used his stumbling feet as an advantage and swung-kick him to the ground. Genoveva pointed the claw at Ernesto's skull, but he kicked it out of her hand and pounced like an angry tiger. The family heard mixed yells, but among them they heard a yell of pain from Genoveva.

Miguel ran as fast as he could and dove when Ernesto was on top of Genoveva. He knocked right into him and Genoveva was free. The two men fought hand-to-hand as best as they could, pinning each other to the floor. Coco yelled in fear for her grandson and Julio kept a tight hold of her. No one was sure what to do, scurrying to catch up.

Ernesto threw Miguel off of him and drew his sword to attack. The boy was on the floor and defenseless.

"MIGUEL!"

"NO!"

Ernesto thrust his sword, but Genoveva as quicker than him.

Miguel gasped. Coco screamed and hid her face in Julio's chest. Hector fell on his knees and Imelda covered her mouth. Ernesto gasped and let go of his sword, backing away a few steps.

Genoveva stood strong in front of Miguel, protecting him, and removed the sword from in between the right side of her ribs. She pointed the sword at Ernesto's skull and he merely blinked.

"Right, I nearly forgot…"

Genoveva slashed the sword every which way, tearing at Ernesto's costume and leaving his sombrero in shreds. She was as fast as lightning as she stole Ernesto's necktie and used it to tie his hands and feet behind his back. He fell on his ribs, struggling to get free, but he was finally caught.

"NO! You, filthy _puta_! You're going to pay…"

WHAM! Imelda had taken off a boot and smacked Ernesto's skull as hard as she could, making it spin like a top on his spine.

"And THAT'S for everything else!" Imelda snapped, raising her weapon to strike again, a half-glaring, half-impressed Hector right behind her.

Sirens and flashing red and blue lights were detected from the street above their heads and four cops and Victoria looked down at the crowd.

"Victoria!" The family yelled in unison while Genoveva held her left forearm carefully and simply smiled.

The police walked down the stairs and took hold of the murderer, impressed that the Riveras had finally brought De La Cruz to justice.

" _Gracias_ , Riveras." The man said as he and his partner started to drag Ernesto away. "We'll take it from here."

"See that you do." Imelda said firmly as she put her shoe back on.

Hector peered down at his old _amigo_ in complete disgust. "And if you ever touch _mi familia_ ever again, I swear I'll..."

Imelda covered Miguel's… erm, earholes (skeletons don't have ears)... to preserve his childhood innocence as Hector swore so badly. He wore a scary expression in his face, close to matching the look he had when he found out the truth about his unlucky death.

The police reassured the famous Rivera that Ernesto would be well taken care of and climbed up the stairs for the cop-cars. Hector watched them go until Ernesto was out of sight, then ran to his grandson, who stood shaking and breathing heavily.

"Miguel!" He cried and got on one knee to look over the teenager. "Are you alright, _mijo_? Did you break anything?"

"No, I'm okay."

Coco ran from her husband's grasp and into Miguel's loving arms. Miguel hugged the shaken woman back tightly and the whole family surrounded Miguel, relieved to find him unharmed.

Genoveva smiled at the scene before her, happy to see Miguel so loved and cared for. She turned her back on the group and looked down at her aching forearm. It had been years since she had felt pain, but now it had come back in full force and shocked her. Her radius was broken and she had to hold it together, cradling her arm with her other hand and trying not to think about the overwhelming pain too much.

"Genoveva."

She knew whose voice it was and tried to cover the fact that her arm was broken before acknowledging her. Genoveva turned, but before she could speak or even look up at her, Imelda embraced the girl in a secure hug. Her eyes flew open in shock, but Imelda's were squeezed tight, holding Genoveva as close as she possibly could.

Genoveva had been hugged before, but not like this. This wasn't a quick "thank you" for saving a village, this wasn't a side hug from a friend; this was a hug from a loving mother, relieved that Genoveva was safe. She hugged Imelda back and buried her face in the elder's purple sleeve. It felt like all her loneliness, all her fear, all her pain and the feelings she's kept hidden since she was born was surfacing and Imelda was taking them. This and the pain was almost too much for Genoveva; she blinked away tears and tried to act strong.

When Imelda held Genoveva by the shoulders to look at her, her beautiful eyes held such gratitude and love for the teenager who had saved her grandson.

Imelda held Genoveva's right cheek and said, "Thank goodness you're safe. I was so worried."

"I'm alright, Señora Imelda." Genoveva said calmly.

Hector placed a soothing hand on Imelda's shoulder and was by her right side. " _Gracias, niña_ , for keeping Miguel safe."

"Of course! He's my friend." Genoveva said humbly. Really it was no big deal to her. Anyone with a heart would…

Imelda looked down at her body and observed her torn clothing and the break in her left arm. Before Genoveva could try to hide it, Imelda's hands flew to it and held it gently, yet the teen still winced.

Imelda looked up at Genoveva and said, "Come, let's patch you up, _niña_."

"You don't have to…"

"We want you to." Hector said firmly and stood next to her and held her by the shoulders.

Genoveva was too tired and ached too much to argue. She allowed herself to be led up the stairs, down the street and into the house. Miguel sat next to her on the couch with her weapons in hand and Hector and Imelda knelt in front of her, examining her broken bone. Rosita ran off to make everyone a steaming mug of hot chocolate; the twins sat at the checkerboard-table, but did not play a game, and Victoria stoody by them; Julio and Coco took the rocking chairs and watched Hector and Imelda work.

Hector held Genoveva's left hand and Imelda carefully wrapped her radius. While his wife worked, Hector paid close attention to Genoveva. He had a rough past and had gotten into some trouble in the Land of the Dead, resorting in broken bones and cracked ribs. Though he was well remembered now and his bones were whiter now, his cracks and breaks never healed; things don't heal when you're dead.

Now Hector never thought about the break in his right arm, or the one on his left leg, or this cracked ribs. They were like scars on skin: always there, but never thought about. But Hector remembered how much it hurt when he broke a bone. Pain is alien in death, making the few times you have pain even worse. He can still remember holding his hat and biting his bottom lip, trying to act like a man as Chicharon fixed his leg as best as the old man could.

Genoveva rested her left elbow on her left knee and let Hector hold her hand and arm steady. She rested her head in her right hand, her right elbow on the arm of the couch. She didn't allow herself to wince or cringe, but blinked for very long periods of time, and when she opened them, fresh tears would be there. Hector gave her hand a gentle squeeze and she looked up at him.

It was just like at the bridge.

In life, Genoveva had sustained injuries. No broken bones, but she did sprain an ankle when learning to fight and had several bad scrapes and bruises from other events. Her teacher had seen her back to the orphanage safely when she sprained her ankle, but that was it; she had to learn to take care of herself. The cuts and scrapes and bruises she cleaned and had to swallow the pain. There were no "it's okay"s or such kind hands in life as there were now right in front of her.

Hector smiled at her staring and used his thumb to rub her hand. Genoveva smiled back and it took everything she had in her not to crawl up to Hector's chest and hug him.

~

Imelda walked into her bedroom as Hector finished buttoning his nightshirt. She had just checked to see that Genoveva was comfortable, having given her some blankets and a pillow so she could sleep in the living room. Imelda had told her that she'd feel much more comfortable knowing Genoveva was safe, and the girl agreed to stay the night. She had also changed into some clothes Miguel had given to her so she didn't have to sleep in torn clothes; she now wore an oversized blue flannel and blue-jeans, but she looked rather comfortable and happy.

Hector smiled at his wife as she turned to her dresser and pulled out her salmon-pink nightgown and began to prepare for bed.

"Hector?" She asked without looking at him.

"Hm?"

"What do you think of Genoveva?"

Hector was a little surprised by Imelda's question, but did not hesitate to answer. "I think she's a beautiful young woman and a great friend to Miguel… to all of us, as a matter of fact."

Imelda thought about her husband's answer and seemed unsatisfied. Hector walked into the master bathroom to brush his teeth.

"What do you think of Genoveva, _mi amor_?" He asked as he prepared his toothbrush.

"I think she deserves a real home and family." He heard Imelda say. "And… I think it should be our family."

Hector spat into the sink and thought about it. He was not against the idea, he was just… surprised, is all. He wiped his mouth clean with the handtowl and reentered the bedroom and looked at Imelda, who was now dressed in her pajamas.

Hector grinned widely at her. "Are you serious, Imelda?"

"Did I stutter?" She asked as she sat on the bed.

"No, no," Hector said calmly. "You were as clear as a _campana, mi amor_. It's just…"

Imelda sighed and shook her head. "I should have known you wouldn't understand."

Hector was hurt by that comment, but knew that she was only frustrated. Perhaps she didn't even understand herself. Hector leaned forward so his hands were on the bed and he looked at the love of his life closely, waiting for her to speak again.

She found her words and lilaborated. "I'm not suggesting we adopt her, but… she needs a home, Hector. Miguel and Genoveva hadn't said anything about it, but I know what happens to those without families. Are you sure you never saw her before?"

Hector shook his head. "Never. She said she travels a lot…"

"Then she definitely doesn't have a home." Imelda said sadly. "At least you had your _amigos_."

Hector nodded. "I did. And I won't lie, they were great _amigos_. Still are, actually."

"But she doesn't even that, Hector." Imelda added as she unpinned her hair and put the pins in a little jewelry box on her nightstand. "And I don't know about you, but I've grown to care for her very much."

Hector looked at Imelda sternly. "You honestly think I don't care for her?"

Imelda looked up at the musician and saw just how much she had hurt him. She looked down at her falling hair, rather than her husband, and Hector moved forward, sitting on the bed completely.

"I care for her, as well, _mi amor_." Hector said seriously; it was so much unlike him, but his voice was still warm and dripped with love. "She reminds me so much of myself: orphaned, free-spirited, searching for something that's right in front of her."

Imelda put the last pin in the box and looked at her husband as she ran her fingers through her hair to try to free it a little. "So you think we should invite her to move in?"

Hector chuckled and answered, "She already spends so much time here, let's just give her a bed and get it over with."

"We should talk to the rest of the family first." Imelda reminded him.

"Of course." Hector said as he slipped under the sheets.

"But not Miguel, not yet." Imelda added as she also got under the blankets and turned off the lamp at her nightstand. "Not until the rest of the family agrees."

"Whatever you wish, _mi amor_." Hector said quietly and turned off his lamp.

~

Genoveva stretched as far as her bones would go and popped her back, fingers and shoulders. She shook herself like a maraca and could smell coffee. She blinked and looked around. She was sitting on the couch, wearing Miguel's clothes. Anyone else would have been highly embarrassed, but Genoveva and Miguel were such close friends at this point that none of them were ashamed to share what the other needed.

She was actually very comfortable in Miguel's flannel and thought it was fair to warn him that he may never get it back. Genoveva couldn't hear much commotion and the sunlight coming in through the curtains was dim, so she guessed that the sun had just risen. A new day, a new adventure.

The smell of coffee got stronger and she couldn't resist. Genoveva got up and slowly walked to the kitchen to find Hector pouring himself a mug. She leaned on the wall by the swinging door and crossed her arms. He was an interesting man; highly admired by most of the dead and even more so by his grandson, he was whitty, creative, energetic, and yet romantic and could be very serious when he wanted to. He was a child in spirit, but an adult in mind. Genoveva could relate.

Hector turned to the table and saw Genoveva watching him. He smiled and said, " _Buenos días, señora_. Did you sleep well?"

Genoveva smiled and nodded. "Better than I've slept in fifty years. _Gracias, señor_. How did you sleep?"

"Really well." Hector said as he sat his coffee on the table. "Would you care for some coffee?"

" _Por vavor_."

Hector gestured to a chair at the table and Genoveva sat down. The man grabbed another white mug from the cupboard above his head and poured her some coffee from the nearly-full pot; the Riveras had an unhealthy coffee addition, even in death where caffeine had no effect. It was just out of habit now and for the taste.

"Sugar or cream?"

"Black is fine, _gracias_."

Hector smiled to himself before going to the table and handing Genoveva her coffee. As he sat down, Genoveva caught a glance at his own coffee; he preferred his black, too. She cupped her own mug with her hands and felt her bones grow warmer. It was a feeling she wasn't used to, but she liked it.

Hector sipped his coffee and observed the girl. She wasn't nervous or stiff, as most guests seem to be, but she wasn't making herself at home, either. In his mind, she was the perfect houseguest. He remembered his conversation with Imelda last night and wondered if she would even want to move in. She was independent and never liked intruding on the family, but she quickly accepted offers to spend more time in the household and Hector knew that, deep down, she desperately wanted to stay as long as possible.

"So," Hector said to break the silence between them. "Best you've slept in fifty years, hu?"

Genoveva chuckled and said, " _Si_ , I'm not much of a sleeper anymore."

Hector nodded as he took a careful sip of his coffee. In death, most of the things you did in life you don't _need_ to do, but _like_ to do, like eating, drinking and sleeping.

"I sleep nearly every night," Hector informed. "But some nights I stay up if I have an idea for a song."

"Am I to expect any new albums?" Genoveva joked.

Hector laughed and answered with, "No, I've scraped most of them. They're all painfully cheesy and cliche."

Genoveva shrugged. "You'll think of something."

"I know you've been learning to play the guitar. Any recent progress?" Hector asked.

"Some." Genoveva said into her mug and sat it down on the table. "You've taught Miguel well; he's a great teacher."

" _Gracias_." Hector said with a smile, but it turned more serious and genuine. "Genoveva."

She looked up from her coffee and the change in him. She freed her hands of her drink and gave the man her undivided attention. He looked almost sad for a moment, but maybe it was just overwhelming gratitude.

"I want to thank you again for saving my great-great-grandson." Hector said solemnly.

Genoveva blinked, thinking he was going to say something much worse, and smiled. "It was nothing, really. I would never let that _bastardo_ touch Miguel. What was he gonna do, anyways?"

"Don't underestimate him, _niña_." Hector said gravely. "He's a dangerous man, and he still could have done some damage if he wanted to."

Genoveva dropped her smile and nodded. He was right; Miguel could have broken several bones or… or even had his skull crushed. Genoveva had tried to make the event unimportant to humble herself, but saw that that was giving off the impression that she didn't care, which wasn't true at all.

"I understand, _señor_." She said in a low voice. "I promise I won't underestimate him. And Miguel is always safe with me."

Hector took covered one of her hands on the table and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I know he is. I watched you fight last night; you're were amazing!"

Genoveva would have blushed, but with no blood to go to her cheeks, she only gave a sheepish smile. " _Gracias_. I've trained for many years to become so."

Hector laughed and let go of Genoveva's hand. They continued to make small talk and sip their coffee. A few minutes later, Imelda joined them and kissed her husband good morning. Genoveva smiled at the happy couple, knowing they had a rocky eighty years, and Hector only gave her a sly look when he saw her gaze.


	6. Nightmares

Miguel sat up straight quickly and held his skull. He was sweating and felt dizzy. He looked down at his skeleton body which was rattling a little, and hugged his knees and calmed down his breathing. If he had a stomach, he might have thrown up.

He hadn't had a nightmare like that in a very long time; it felt like a step backwards. Miguel had hoped that he was back to normal, but… maybe he would never be normal. He turned on his lamp to get rid of the darkness and he felt a little better, looking around his bedroom at the posters of other musicians and framed pictures of his family hung on the walls.

He felt a twinge of pain and wished _Día de Muertos_ would begin already, but he had to wait another two months. He sighed and tried not to think about his living family, but there was nothing else to think about, so his thoughts dwelled on his growing little sister and mourning parents.

There was a quiet knock on his door, so quiet he almost missed it, but he went to the door just in case. He opened it and found Genoveva standing in pink pajama-pants and a white tank-top.

"Hey," She whispered. "Are you okay?"

Miguel let her in so they could talk freely and he said in a low voice, "Yeah, I'm okay. Did I wake you?"

Genoveva shook her head. "I was just reading and got up to stretch my legs when I saw your light turn on." She looked at Miguel's shining skull and sweaty hair and knew better to accept his pitiful answer. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Miguel looked at his best friend. He trusted her more than anyone. Well, apart from Papa Hector, but there were some things Miguel didn't like to talk to Hector about, so for those things he turned to Genoveva.

"I had a nightmare." He muttered in shame.

Genoveva understood, perhaps a little too much for Miguel's liking. Nightmares always seem far worse than what they really are when you first wake up. She knew Miguel was okay now, but he still looked upset, and not about the bad dream. Genoveva was patient and cunning; she sat on Miguel's bed cross-legged and stared at him.

"Wanna talk? About anything?"

Miguel enjoyed the idea of talking about anything but his dream, so he sat on the bed across from Genoveva, on his knees, and broke into a quiet conversation with her. It was nothing deep or poetic, just two best friends sitting and talking, and Miguel liked it. They sat there and talked for the rest of the evening and during sunrise. They kept on talking while Miguel changed and Genoveva turned to look at the wall while he did.

He opened the door for her when he was ready and they exited his bedroom, right as Victoria was walking down the hall. She froze at the sight of them, one in pajamas, both messy-haired, and peered at them through her glasses sharply.

"What were you two doing in there?" She asked coldly.

Miguel, confused by her anger, simply answered, "We were just talking."

Genoveva, a little more mature than Miguel, caught on and gagged. "Ew, NO, Tia Victoria!"

Victoria only glare at the teenagers and Genoveva rolls her eyes, grabbed Miguel's arm and walked them to the kitchen for coffee. Miguel didn't like it, but Genoveva did so he'd sit and enjoy the morning with his family at the table.

A few nights later, Miguel was in the bathroom, washing his face of cold sweat. Now this was getting ridiculous! He was trying to convince himself that he was okay, that he was fine, but it was harder said than done. Miguel buried his face in the hand towel and tried to think about anything but the dreams.

He hung the towel up and started to walk back to his bedroom, but when he reached Genoveva's bedroom, she opened the door.

"Miguel?" She whispered. "Are you… did you have another nightmare?'

Miguel waved his hand and said, "It's okay, just go back to sleep."

Genoveva shook her head and grabbed his hand. "Come on."

She walked Miguel to his bedroom and carefully closed the door. She sat Miguel on his bed and she sat in front of him. Miguel had a feeling that Imelda's stubbornness was rubbing off on her.

"I know you don't want to talk about it," Genoveva said quietly, "But you _need_ to talk about it. It'll only get worse from here, and we won't leave this room until you do."

Miguel blinked at her and wondered how serious she was. Knowing better than to fight her, Miguel took in a deep breath and started to talk about his dreams.

It was all the same thing, mostly: being dragged into darkness, getting hurt, losing his family. Blurred visions and such in front of him that left him sweating and shivering and scared. When he finished describing his nightmares to Genoveva, he looked away from her, ashamed of his feelings, but knowing that she would dig them out of him eventually.

"I… I thought I was getting better." Miguel admitted. "I thought I was normal, but… I hadn't had dreams like that for months, and now…" He trailed off.

Genoveva looked at Miguel carefully and gathered enough courage to ask something she had wondered since the day they met.

"Miguel," She said softly. "How did you die?"

Miguel closed his eyes as they ached, wanting to make tears, but the boy didn't allow it. He looked up at Genoveva and saw such kindness and love expelling from her facial expression. She was always so understanding and supportive that Miguel couldn't help but trust her.

Miguel took in a deep breath. "I was murdered. A drunk man... I had walked down an alley, taking a shortcut, and…"

Genoveva crawled over to him and pulled him into a tight hug. Miguel was still for a moment before hugging her back. She petted his hair and had to gather her many thoughts to know what to say. She knew Miguel didn't die of peacefully due to his age, but if she had taken a wild guess, she thought it was an accident or sickness.

"I'm so sorry, Miguel." She whispered as they hugged.

Miguel felt the tears come and couldn't keep them away. "I… I miss my family… my sister… she's just a little kid, she… she might not… r-r-remember m-me…"

Genoveva blinked several times and felt a tear fall on her shoulder. "She will. She will, Miguel."

"I hate feeling like this." Miguel cried softly. There was no stopping it, now.

"It's okay. It's okay to think about it..."

"I can't..."

"You have to, Miguel." Genoveva said firmly and held him so she could look him in the eye. "You have to be honest about how you feel so you can move on. What happened… it wasn't fair. What you're feeling it natural; it's okay to not be okay."

"But I _want_ to be okay!" Miguel said slightly louder than wise He took in a deep breathed and quieted down. "I… I just want things to go back to normal."

"There's no such thing as 'normal'." Genoveva chuckled and wiped a tear away from Miguel's cheekbone. "Everything changes every day. You always wake up an entirely new person. And," Genoveva sighed and added. "You won't ever be the same as you once was, but that's okay, too. The best thing you can do is not let what happened defeat you, but overcome it, and become a better person from it."

Genoveva brought Miguel close again and let his head rest on her shoulder. He hugged her back and let her words sink in. His breathing was calm and his tears had stopped.

Genoveva was special. She was Miguel's best and closest friend. She probably knew Miguel better than anyone and understood them with the slightest of effort. She was family, but not a cousin. A sister? Miguel knew he loved her and that she loved him, but he had never been in love before. And he felt like he wasn't now.

He concluded that that was made their friendship so great: they loved each other, but they weren't in love.

" _Gracias_." Miguel whispered into Genoveva's shoulder.

She let go for a moment to pull Miguel to the head of the bed and she leaned against the wooden board. Miguel hugged her by her hip and leaned against the board as well. Genoveva pulled the blankets on their legs to keep the cold out and Miguel leaned his head on her shoulder and she leaned her head on top of his.

Miguel closed his eyes and found peace, being held safely and being reassured that he was okay, that was he was feeling is okay, and that it's okay not to be okay.

The next morning, the pair woke up and only smiled. Without a single word being spoken, Miguel changed and Genoveva left his bedroom, but just as she opened the door, Victoria was leaving her room, yawning into her hand. She only saw Genoveva in her pajamas and Miguel without a shirt on in his room and stared wide-eyed.

" _Dios mío_." Victoria muttered.

Genoveva shook her head. "Honestly, Tia Victoria."

"What's going on?" Hector asked as he walked down the hall and saw Genoveva close Miguel's bedroom door.

"Just two _amigos_ having a heart-to-heart, Papa Hector." Genoveva said calmly and gestured down the hall for the kitchen. "Coffee?"

Hector pulled the girl into a side hug and walked with her into the kitchen. Victoria glared at Miguel's bedroom door before moving on.


	7. Día de Muertos

Genoveva only agreed to walk with them to ease Miguel's mind. She talked fondly with him and the family as they walked for the scanners at the edge of the Land of the Dead. When the station was in sight, Miguel and Genoveva slowed to a stop, letting adults walk ahead, but they kept an ear on them.

"You sure you won't at least try?" Miguel asked gently.

Genoveva shook her head. "No one's ever put up my photo. Why would they?"

Miguel looked sad for his friend t the fact that she couldn't enjoy the holiday. She was doing a good job of hiding it, but she was sad, too.

Miguel suddenly gave a tiny smile and said, "I'll stay with you…"

Imelda turned when she heard this and gave the back of her grandson's head a stern look. But before she could speak and advise against it, Genoveva firmly said no.

"This is the one day of the year your family is together. You should be a part of it. What about your mama and papa? What about your sister?"

Miguel couldn't look at Genoveva anymore, so he looked at his hands, held in front of his torso.

Genoveva hugged him and said, "Come on, _amigo_. This is a happy day! You're going home! Don't waste it feeling sorry for me; instead, be my eyes and ears! I want you to tell me all about it when you get back! And who knows… maybe I'll meet some of them one day."

Miguel's smile returned as they seperated. "Okay, I'll even bring you some offerings!"

Genoveva only laughed and called as he and the family walked on, "I'm not touching your offerings, _mariachi_! They're yours! Have a great time!"

" _Adios, amiga_!"

" _Adios_ , Genoveva!"

The Rivera family got in line for the scanners and Miguel entertained himself by observing the bridge made of flower petals and the many other people returning home. One by one, as if waiting on a rollercoaster, the line moved up to the scanners. Every once and a while, Miguel glanced back to see if Genoveva was still there. She was, and they would wave; she was seeing them off.

At last, the Rivera family was next. Rosita, Victoria and Julio stood close together and were given the all-clear to go. Julio and Coco went next, and then Imelda and Hector. The nice policewoman wished them a happy trip and Miguel was up next. Just like the last two Día de Muertos, the scanner matched Miguel with his picture in his red mariachi costume and gave him the green light.

"Enjoy your visit, Miguel."

" _Gracias_." Miguel said and walked on to join his family, who were waiting patiently before crossing.

He stole one last glimpse behind him, but he couldn't see past the scanners and lines. Hector patted him on the shoulder and walked with him to the bridge. Miguel looked ahead and was suddenly very excited to return home.

Meanwhile, Genoveva sat on a wooden bench, watching everyone try to cross to the Land of the Living. She sighed and sat back, trying to relax and ignore the lonely feeling in her gut. The fact that no one cared enough about her to put up a picture of her was sad enough, but not having her family there to comfort her made it worse.

"It's no big deal." She muttered to herself to try to clear her head. "So what? They have somewhere to go, you don't. Why do you want to go, anyways?"

But she knew why. She wanted to meet her new family. Genoveva wanted to meet Elena and Little Coco and Miguel's parents and the cousins and everyone else. She wanted to see Santa Cecilia and the Rivera home and workshop. She wanted to let Miguel narrate and explain things and sing and dance at dinner.

Genoveva looked up at the scanners again and tried to focus on the many different skeletons crossing over. One grandmother was holding a three-year-old boy as they were being scanned and happily crossed over. A farmer was next, then a firefighter was on his fire department's ofrenda and looked touched that his comrades remembered him.

"Come on!" A young lady begged as she pulled a young man's arm. "Just give it a try!"

"They hate us, _mi amor_." The man said calmly. "Why would they put us on the _ofrenda_?"

"Let's just give it a try! It's our first _Día de Muertos_. We'd hate to miss out all because we were afraid to try."

A few minutes later and the young couple got in line. A little after that, a policeman scanned them and they were shocked to have a match.

"Your photos are on your _amigo's ofrenda_!" He reported, happy for the couple. "Have a great time!"

The couple nearly forgot to say thank you as they ran for the bridge hand-in-hand. Genoveva guessed that miracles could happen.

"Why not?"

Genoveva got up and went in line for a scanner. Her mind used it's imagination to keep boredom at bay. What if she did have a photo up? She could go to Santa Cecilia and surprise Miguel! She could almost see his shocked face when she touched his shoulder and he turned with a huge grin on his face, excited to show her his little world. And later, she could see who in the living world blessed her to cross.

"Next!"

She walked up steadily to the scanner, but she was extremely nervous. Genoveva had never been scanned before and was unsure of what to do, but had watched dozen of skeletons do it no problem, so she took in a deep breath and relaxed her tense bones. A young policeman, a little older than Genoveva, activated the scanner and the girl stood as straight as she could and tried to smile. The scanner was silent for a moment, searching for a match…

BUUUZZ!

The man winced as he saw the red x. "I'm sorry, _señora_ , no one put up your photo." He said softly.

Genoveva nodded her head and relaxed. She wasn't sure how she felt; she expected it, but had foolishly allowed herself to get her hopes up. She shrugged and tried to smile.

"Eh, it's alright. There's always next year, right?"

The young man smiled sympathetically and Genoveva wished him an easy shift and walked back to the bench. She plopped down and scolded herself.

 _"You knew this would happen, don't you dare feel sorry for yourself!"_

Genoveva took in a deep breath and wondered where to go next. She had some time to kill, but she couldn't quite decide what to do, an usual event to occur for her. She sat upside down in the bench so her head dangled off the seat and her feet were levitated by the back. She put her hands on her chest and decided to take a quick nap.

* * *

Miguel was sorry to cross the bridge again, but remembered that Genoveva would be waiting for him and he was able to wear a big smile and walk with an extra spring in his step. Rosita carried a basket full of offerings like bottle of Julio's favorite beer, her famous _Chile Verde_ , fresh cocoa beans for Coco, and mangos for Victoria. Imelda also had a basket, holding wine for Hector, _Shrimp Ceviche_ for herself, churros for Miguel and red apples for the twins. Oscar couldn't resist and tried to sneak an apple, but his sister smacked his hand away.

"At least wait until we're back in the Land of the Dead." She scolded.

Oscar rolled his eyes. The re-entry center was crowded with other skeletons trying to return in time, but there were four lines, making the process quicker. Miguel tried to peer ahead for any sign of Genoveva, but it was too crowded and far away to tell.

Before he knew it, Rosita and Imelda showed their baskets overflowing with offerings and the policeman gave them the all-clear to re-enter. The Rivera family passed by the iron gates and followed the flow of traffic. Miguel look all around the vast area for Genoveva, but still couldn't see her. Maybe she was at the shop…

"Miguel!"

He looked ahead and saw her running towards him with a huge grin on her skull. Miguel ran after her as well and the two met in the middle. Genoveva picked up Miguel by a hug around his waist and spun around.

"VEVA!" Miguel whined in embarrassment.

"Well?!" She asked excitedly as she put him down. "How was it? Did you have a good time? How is everyone?"

"It was a lot of fun!" Miguel answered with laughter in his voice. "They left lots of delicious offerings for us and played all night long; even Little Coco got to play and sing!"

"Oh, how is she? Your sister, what is she like?"

"She's beautiful, Veva!" Miguel said happily as they led the walk home. "She looks kinda like my mama and has such beautiful hair! She's so little and yet already dances so well, she's just like her great-grandmama! And abuelita's gotten pretty good at dancing, too! Mama Coco loved watching her daughter dance. OH! And I saw Dante!"

"Dante? Your dog?" Genoveva asked to clarify. "Did he not come back with you?"

Miguel shook his head. "No, he's been spending a lot of time with Little Coco, which would explain his disappearance."

Miguel talked most of the walk back to the shoe-shop and Genoveva listened carefully. He made sure not to leave out any details and truly took what Genoveva had said to heart. As the two walked ahead of the adults, Coco and Julio looked at each other and agreed silently that they reminded them of themselves when they were children.

 _"And you leave out food for them, too?"_

"

Si _, we call them offerings. Mama says its to bring the family together, even if it's only for one night."_

"Wow, that sounds amazing! I wish we did that, it sounds really important."

"It is. I… I could show you, if you want."

"I'd like that, Julio."

When they got home, most of the family was emotionally drained and turned in for the night, except for Miguel and Genoveva, so they sat in the courtyard and Miguel continued his story about his family. In Julio and Coco's room, they had a window that opened to the courtyard, so they kept it open and watched for a little bit as the sun started to rise and the two teenagers sat under the tree.

"It was a lot of fun, but also… I dunno." Miguel said, his smile wanning. "I didn't realise how much time had past until I saw how grown up Little Coco was. She's… she's not so little anymore."

"How long has it been?" Genoveva asked timidly.

"This was my third _Día de Muertos_." Miguel explained. "And I was really worried about my parents, coping with my death, but they looked really happy and almost normal, but I was even more worried about abuelita."

"Elena Rivera." Genoveva said, more to herself than Miguel. "Is she okay?"

"Oh, she's fine." Miguel said calmly. "But she nearly cried when she saw my photo."

Genoveva patted his shoulder. "She'll be okay. These things just take time."

He nodded. "I know, but still. I guess it's easier to worry about them when I can't check on them every day." Miguel took another churro from the plate Imelda had given him and held it out for Genoveva. "Are you sure you don't want them."

Genoveva shook her head and held up her hand. "No, Miguel. They're _your_ offerings. _You_ enjoy them."

"I'd enjoy them a lot more if you had one."

Genoveva laughed and looked away, determined not to take one, but Miguel was persistent and kept his arm still for a minute more.

"Come on, my arm's getting tired." Miguel teased.

"So eat it, _mariachi_."

"I don't want it."

"Liar." Genoveva joked and crossed her arms.

"Genoveva Rivera, if you don't take this churro, I'm chucking it over the wall." Miguel scolded with a grin on hi face, but he looked like he would keep his word.

Genoveva threw her hands in the air and yelled, "Alright, alright! The great Musician Miguel wins again! Happy?"

"Very." He laughed as Genoveva took the churro and bit into it.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't hide her hum of satisfaction or slow down her eating, making Miguel laugh so hard he held his ribs. Genoveva punched him on the shoulder when she finished her churro and wiped her hands clean of cinnamon-sugar.

"Do you remember when you pushed me in the dirt and called me an _estúpido_?" Julio asked his wife.

"I was _once_ and wanted to test my new word." Coco said as she rolled her eyes. "Will you ever let it go?"

"No." Julio said flatly, still watching the teenagers. "Because that was the day I fell in love with you. And I'll never stop."

Coco smiled and took his arm and stood by the window. Miguel was now chasing Genoveva around the yard and the two were laughing. Genoveva eventually stopped suddenly and stuck out her leg, making Miguel trip and fall in the dirt. He spit some out and then playfully tackled Genoveva to the ground and stood up.

"And the winner is, El Poderoso Miguel!"

Coco giggled, remembering from back when her memory was fading, but Miguel would stage a wrestling match and always let the Lucho Mama Coco win. Genoveva got up and pounced on Miguel like a leopard and put him in a headlock.

"But what's this?! El Valiente Genoveva strikes again! Can this boy of all bones beat such a mighty wrestler?!" She said.

The teenagers rolled around in laughter until they were both on their backs, looking up at the clouds swimming in the orange and pink sky.

" _Damas y caballeros_ ," Miguel sighed. "It's a tie."

Genoveva held up a thumbs-up in agreement and let it plop down on her chest. "So… what do you want to do today?"

"I dunno, what do you want to do today?"

"I dunno, what do you want to do today?"

"You always know what you want to do!"

"I said, I dunno. What do you want to do today?"

"I dunno, what do you want to do today?"

Knowing this game could go on for a very long time, Julio and Coco laughed softly as they closed the window and decided that they were due for a nice nap.


	8. Fading

Genoveva looked at her reflection without really seeing. She blinked several times to try to clear her head and clang onto the sink as tight as her bones could let her. She was scared.

She took the opportunity to look at herself very carefully. Her bones were yellow, rather than pearly white, like the Riveras. Her hair was the same, but now a little frizzled and messy. She held up her hands and flexed them; they seemed… looser than normal, but that had been a thing for years now.

She knew she was being forgotten for a long time. She just chose not to think about it. When Genoveva first died, she had no family and no regrets, until she knew what happened to people who weren't remembered. But she was determined not to live in fear of dying one day, so she enjoyed each day in the Land of the Dead as much as she could.

She had known she was holding on by a thread. She had known the only ones to tell her stories were a few old villagers in the Andes, telling the folktale of how a monster was killed. She had known she would be forgotten one day, so why was she so scared and sad?

Because she had a reason to exist now.

Genoveva backed into the bathroom wall and sank to the floor. She hugged her knees and took in several deep breaths. The sudden burst of pain was gone, but she still hurt. She wasn't ready. She wanted to stay with Miguel and Imelda and Hector and everyone else. She wanted to meet Elena and anyone else who came along. She wanted to be a part of her new family.

She blinked away her tears and a sudden thought made her jump up to look in the mirror again. Was she really…? Was she just…?

 _"This isn't you."_ She thought to herself and turned on the faucet. _"Say it to yourself."_

She cupped some water into her hands.

 _"You're being forgotten."_

She splashed her face.

 _"You're being forgotten."_

She splashed her face again and wiped it of water.

"I'm being forgotten." She muttered out-loud and splashed herself with water one last time.

Genoveva grabbed the fluffy hand towel and wiped her skull dry with it. She had always lived her days to the fullest, and today would be no exception.

She left the bathroom and Victoria went in to take a shower. Genoveva walked into the kitchen to find Julio, Coco, Rosita, Oscar and Felipe, and Imelda sitting at the table, all sipping coffee and listening to Julio read a newspaper out-loud. Genoveva listened and could hear Miguel and Hector playing by the front steps. She knew just what to do and went down the hall again.

A new moments later, Hector and Miguel entered the home as everyone but Rosita was leaving for the workshop (she went into the kitchen). Genoveva came out from the hall and went up to Miguel with something behind her back.

" _Hola_ , Miguel. _Hola_ Papa Hector."

" _Hola_ , Genoveva!" They both said.

"Any plans, _mariachi_?" Genoveva asked her best friend.

Miguel shook his said. "Nope."

"Good." Genoveva threw Miguel's blue hoodie at him and headed for the door. " _Vamonos, amigo_!"

"Where are you two off in such a hurry?" Imelda asked as she joined her husband, all while Miguel slipped on his jacket.

"We are going to live today like it's our last!" Genoveva said confidently and opened the door for Miguel.

"Alright, just be home by dinner!" Imelda called after them.

"Love you, Mama Imelda! Love you, Papa Hector!" The two tenagers called and closed the door and ran down the stairs.

"So, what are we going to do?" Miguel asked as they ran down the street.

"The question isn't 'what are we going to do', the question is 'what aren't we going to do'." Genoveva answered and dove right into the river.

"OY!" Miguel yelled from the side of the bridge.

Genoveva's head poked out of the water and yelled, "Come on, _muchacho_!"

Not wanting to get his guitar wet, Miguel climbed down all seven flights of stairs and ran alongside the river while she swam. When he reached a safe place to put his guitar, he jumped right in and joined Genoveva in the water's depths.

All day, the two ran around and had fun in the city. They spent every day like that, but today was probably the most fun they had had in awhile. After swimming in the river, the two went to the plaza and played for all the underworld to hear, joined by many applause and dancing couples.

Genoveva treated them both to churros and soda and they joked and laughed as they ate their treats. Miguel opened his can and the fizzy drink sprayed all over his face. Genoveva laughed at first, but after seeing how pissed he was, she shook her own soda and opened it so she was sprayed, too, causing Miguel to snort into a fit of laughter.

After that, they climbed in the jungle and came across Pepita. Miguel's eyes big and shining, he pulled Genoveva up on the giant cat and Miguel flew them up into the air. Genoveva clang onto Miguel at first, but then let go and held her hands out.

"Look, Mama!" She called. "No hands!"

Miguel laughed and let go as well. Pepita did a flip, loosing them for a moment, but caught them right as she flew up right. Miguel and Genoveva laughed to their hearts content and Pepita flew them right to Miguel's street. Peptia let them down and Imelda ran out of the house to say hello to her spirit-guide. The teenagers walked out to the shoe-shop to find Oscar, Felipe, Julio and Victoria all working.

" _Hola_ , Miguel. _Hola_ , Genoveva." Julio greeted while hammering at a shoe gently.

" _Hola_ , Papa Julio." They greeted and sat at a pair of stool to watch the adults work.

"Did you have a good day?"

Miguel and Genoveva nodded. "I don't think I've ever had so much fun in one day!" The musician said happily.

"Whoa, hold on, _muchacho_." Genoveva said, punching his shoulder. "The day's not over yet!"

Soon the adults closed up for the day and led Miguel and Genoveva back into the house. When the young explorer walked into the bathroom to wash her hands, she felt herself ache terribly one again and she glowed and almost seemed to fall apart. She fell to the floor and tried to breathe and keep it together. Just as quickly as it came, it was gone.

"Genoveva," Hector called from the hall and knocked on the door. "Are you alright, _niña_?"

Genoveva tried to calm her voice. "Yeah, just dropped the soap."

"Okay, try not to destroy the bathroom." He joked and walked off.

Genoveva held her head and thanked God that no one had seen her body try to fade and that she somehow managed to lie her way out of that one. She forced herself to stand and washed her hands well with warm water. She felt a little bit better and was able to pretend that everything was fine as she walked to the kitchen.

Dinner was delicious as ever, full of good food and stories. Miguel excitedly told the family all he and Genoveva did, but she was happy to listen to what the adults did, even if it was as boring as just making shoes. After dinner, Genoveva helped Rosita and Imelda clean up and when challenged to a game of checkers by Oscar she happily accepted and played a game with him.

Felipe whispered hints to his brother so often, Genoveva felt like it was two against one, but did not complain and only smiled when Oscar won. She denied the offer to play again and Felipe took her chair and the twins played a new game.

Genoveva walked outside at the front door and found Hector and Miguel playing music and singing happily together. She sat by them and listened happily, breathing in the cool night air and looking up at the stars. After their song, Hector asked Genoveva how much she knew and Miguel gave her his guitar to demonstrate.

She played relatively love notes and softly began to sing for her family.

 _"Solo tengo esta noche.  
Solo tengo este momento.  
Mañana, cuando salga el sol,  
No puedo prometer que estaré aquí.  
Así que esta noche,  
¿No vas a bailar conmigo?_

 _"Solo tengo estas manos  
Para abrazarte,  
Y este par de pies izquierdos  
No son aptos para bailar.  
Pero esta noche, solo esta noche,  
¿No vas a bailar conmigo?"_

Miguel smiled at Genoveva and sand while she played.

 _"Querida Señora bajo la luna,  
Qué daría por tu coraje.  
Aunque no tengo oro para dar,  
Mi corazón es igual de puro.  
Así que esta noche,  
Tendré este baile contigo."_

Hector smiled proudly at how far of an artist she had come. Genoveva gently plucked at the strings and Miguel stood and held out his hand. Genoveva put the guitar down, but Hector picked up right where she left off so they could dance to their song. Together, the two ran down the stairs and danced on the street as they sang.

"As the stars watch from above  
And dance along with us,  
I know once they are gone,  
So is our time together.  
So tonight, just tonight,  
Won't you dance with me?

I don't care where we are:  
In a ballroom or stuck in a well;  
For if you're in my arms,  
I'll feel like a Queen/King!

"And so…

"I have only this night.  
All I have is this moment.  
Tomorrow, when the sun rises,  
I can't promise I'll be here.  
So tonight, only tonight,  
Won't you dance with me?"

* * *

Miguel was sound asleep, lying on his side, his chest rising and declining steadily. Genoveva smiled at his sleeping form, extremely cautious not to wake him. She could feel it coming, like a storm, and wanted to make sure Miguel would be okay. She hesitated, then bent down and kissed him on the cheekbone.

 _"I'll miss you, Miguel."_

She turned to his little desk and saw his notebook. Genoveva opened it to see the next blank page, careful not to read anything. When she found a good spot, she sat at the chair and borrowed a pencil. Was she sure she wanted to do this?

Genoveva took in a deep breath and began to write. 

* * *

The sun had just risen. It was barely visible past the buildings. Hector opened the front door, his guitar in hand, and breathed in the fresh, crisp morning air. It smelled damp and was cool. Perhaps it would rain later today. He sat on the front steps and tuned his guitar.

Imelda, meanwhile, sat up in bed and saw that she was in her bedroom alone. She smiled and shook her head and got up to get dressed, wondering if she would join Hector later. Most likely.

One by one, the Riveras got up and were ready to start the day. The teenagers usually got up last, but normally, Genoveva was up first, and Miguel was last. That is why he was surprised to walk into the kitchen and find her missing from the table. He snuck back into the hallways before he was seen by his family and thought of maybe trying to write a new song.

But, something didn't feel right. He had a sickening feeling in his non-existing gut and decided to check on his friend. He walked quietly to her door and knocked on it.

"Veva?" He asked in a low voice, in case she had just woken up. "Veva, you up?"

There was no answer. Did she leave early this morning? Miguel put his head against the door to listen. A few seconds later and he barely picked up the sound of shuttering and a groan of pain.

"Veva!"

Miguel decided it was best to invade her privacy and opened the door. He gasped at finding Genoveva dressed but on her hands and knees on the floor by her bed, shaking and glowing. It looked like she had tried to get up, but was stopped by the sudden burst of pain.

"Veva!" Miguel ran to her and tried to swallow the lump in his throat. "You're fading? Why didn't you tell me?!" He yelled in frustration and grief as helped her back up on the bed.

"What was the point?" Genoveva asked weakly as Miguel helped her to sit against the headboard. "There's nothing we can do. I just wanted… I just wanted to have some fun."

Miguel knelt by the bed and held her hand. Genoveva had always used each day as a chance to have an adventure and live it to the fullest. She was the liveliest dead person he'd ever known, and it was heartbreaking to see her so weak and in so much pain.

"Veva," He said quietly. "You… you're my best friend. I can't… I don't want you to go."

Genoveva looked at him sadly. "I don't... want to go. In life... when I died... I had left... nothing behind. This... isn't like that... at all."

Miguel smoothed her hand and tried to keep any tears from forming; he didn't want to make Genoveva feel any worse that she already did.

"I love you, Miguel." She said weakly, hardly audible. "I always have… I'm honored… to call you… _mi amigo_."

"I love you, too." Miguel said with a smile.

Genoveva smiled, too, and she glowed with a sharp intake of breath and she shuttered.

Miguel's eyes widened in panic and he stood and held her hand tighter. "Veva! Genoveva!"

All she could do was wait until the pain stopped and she ceased glowing. Just for a moment, just one more moment.

Miguel turned to look at the doorway and yelled for help. "Papa Julio! Tia Rosita! Mama Imelda! ANYBODY! HELP!"

From inside the house, Hecto could hear yelling and was frozen to try to listen. His wife banged the door open and tears were in her eyes.

"It's Genoveva!"

Hector abandoned his guitar and followed her down the hall to where most of the family had gathered in front of her doorway. They parted for the heads of the household and gasped at Miguel, sitting on Genoveva's bed and holding her close, her eyes shut and her face laced with pain. They both ignored the adults, and the world belonged to them.

Genoveva breathed in and out carefully to try to cease her pain and hold on. Every second she had in Miguel's arms was treasured and loved. She laid her head on his chest and could feel his warmth and love.

"I'm scared." She breathed in such a quiet voice that only he could hear, her eyes still closed; she didn't even have enough energy to open her eyes.

"It's okay." Miguel muttered, petting her hair softly.

"Will you stay with me?"

Miguel closed his eyes and nodded. Genoveva only breathed and tried to relax in his hold. She couldn't think of anything but Miguel. He loved her like no one else ever had. How ironic, that in her final moments, she was the happiest. Though she wasn't ready, Genoveva felt peace that she was loved so much.

A minute passed and Genoveva flashed in gold, burning in pain and a tear escaped her shut eyes. Miguel held her closer and squeeze his face tight. Her flashes stopped for a moment and a tear fell from Miguel's eye onto her cheekbone.

Slowly, she glowed red, but did not wince of pain. Red slowly turned to gold. Miguel only held her tighter until she became dust in his hold and Miguel's arms were empty. He didn't have the strength to open his eyes to see if she was gone, so he collapsed forward and sobbed into the blankets of the bed.

Coco cried into Julio's hold. Rosita had her hands over her mouth to silence her sobs. Victoria removed her glasses, pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes, trying to remain poised and collected. The twins took off their hats and tried to ignore the heavy feeling on their chests.

Imelda fell on her knees and held her face in her hands. Hector was completely still, watching his grandson mourn unashamefully for his loss. It took a moment for it to sink in that Genoveva was gone. Hector walked up to Miguel and sat on the edge of the bed. He put a kind hand on Miguel, and he sprang into Hector's chest and continued to cry heavily. Hector held him tightly and closed his eyes, trying so hard to keep it together for the boy.

Outside, sitting on the tree in the courtyard, a little blue butterfly was watching the family through the bedroom window. It stretched it's wings and flew out of the courtyard with no one to watch over anymore.


	9. Remember Her

Miguel sat under the tree, his guitar by his feet. He had his knees up and rested his arms on them, holding his bony hands and looking at nothing in particular. He was oblivious to the sunshine warming his bones, the shade blocking his eyes, the breeze keeping him cool, and his great-great-grandparents watching him from the open workshop.

"How long has he been like that?" Hector asked his wife while she polished a finishing boot.

"Ever since he woke up." Imelda said, pausing from her work and looking up at Hector.

He was leaning against a pole with one arm, watching Miguel carefully. Imelda got up and stood by her husband. Hector sighed and blinked for a long time before looking at Miguel again. Imelda grabbed his free arm and hugged it gently.

"He'll be okay." She said, looking up at Hector as if adding silently, "Right?"

Hector could feel Imelda looking at him like that, so he said slowly, "With time, maybe. This… this is the first person he's permanently lost. When someone dies, you're not saying 'goodbye', you're saying 'so long for now'. But this is different."

"I know." Imelda said quietly. "He almost lost you."

Hector nodded. He remembered that feeling and horrible experience like it was yesterday. "And I know he was uncertain if he had saved me for a while, but he always had hope. This time, there's no hope."

"How did you handle it?" Imelda asked carefully. "How did you handle your first experience with The Final Death?"

Hector thought for a moment, remembering Perdita. A little abused girl with parents that erased her from their lives and the world, she was the first person close to Hector whom he lost because they were forgotten. On the docks, he had witnessed many of his close friends disappear to a point where it was almost normal.

The musician shifted his stance to hold his wife with one arm and answered her question. "Not very well. She was just a child, and I pretty much drank my grief away until I learned to live with it."

"That's awful!" Imelda scolded.

"Well, I didn't have you there to comfort me, didn't I?" Hector asked with a small smile to try to lighten the mood, but Imelda was still hurt and sore, so he dropped his smile and resumed his story and his watch on Miguel. "But after a while, you learn that there comes a point where there's nothing else you can do and that we all go eventually. That's why…" Hector slowed down, finding himself quoting the girl. He took in a deep breath and croaked, "That's why we must live each day to the fullest."

Imelda nodded and blinked to try to dry her eyes. She let go of Hector and turned to finish her boots.

"I'm going to go talk to him." Hector informed her and walked across the courtyard.

"Good luck." She muttered.

Hector approached Miguel slowly as to try not to scare him. When he came close and Miguel still made no sign that he heard his grandpa or was aware of his presence, Hector cleared his throat. Miguel still didn't move or greet him, so Hector sat on Miguel's right side under the tree and stretched his legs in front of him.

Hector had to admit that Miguel chose an excellent spot to plant himself for four days. It was warm and had a nice breeze and a beautiful view, but he knew Miguel wasn't appreciating any of this. Hecto had always been a man of words, hardly left not knowing what to say, but as he looked at his great-great-grandson and saw how depressed he was, he didn't know what to say that would help him.

He decided that it was best to start bland.

"It's beautiful."

Miguel only nodded. Well, at least he could hear Hector.

The man looked at Miguel carefully and said in a low voice, "Miguel, I… I know how you feel…"

"No you don't." Miguel said point-blank.

He wasn't cold or attacking Hector, but the man still flinched at Miguel's response, determined to not be proven wrong as he felt so alone right now; the last thing he needed was to be told that he was wrong.

"It's my fault." Miguel said, still not looking at Hector, only straight ahead. His eyes welled up with fresh tears. "I should have done more."

"There was nothing you could have done." Hector said gently and came a little closer to Miguel. "Remember, it happens to everyone eventually."

Miguel buried his head in his arms. Everything he had to say had a wall to cut him off with.

 _"It's my fault." "No, it's not!"_

 _"I should have done more." "There was nothing else you could have done."_

 _"I miss her." "I miss her, too."_

 _"She was my best friend and now she's gone… I'm all alone." "You're never alone!"_

Miguel felt caught. Was he not allowed to feel like this? Was it simply not okay to be upset just because this was natural and that we were all doomed to be forgotten in the end?

 _"It's okay to not be okay."_

"I loved her." Miguel cried quietly into his arms, almost forgetting his grandpa was there.

"What, _mijo_?" Hector asked softly, having no clue what the boy had sobbed.

Miguel lifted his head just barely enough to uncover his mouth and repeated, "I loved her, Papa Hector."

Hector simply stared. He had suspected this due to their actions, but they were never romantic or gave any indication of wanting to be, so he brushed it off and assumed they were simply close friends. If Miguel had fallen in love with her, it was no wonder he was mourning so gravely.

"Miguel, I…" Hector didn't know what to say. He tried it imagine how he'd feel if Imelda was forgotten, but he couldn't even form the idea in his head without being emotional. What pain Miguel must be going through... "Miguel… what happened… I can't imagine how you must feel. To lose someone like that… to… to lose someone you've fallen in love with…"

"NO!" Miguel yelled and lifted his head up all the way. "Not like THAT! Or, maybe, I DON'T KNOW! All I know is is that I loved her and she loved me and now she's gone forever!"

Hector stared and tried to understand, and he thought he did, but out of fear of not seeing eye to eye with the boy, he kept quiet and let him talk first.

Miguel sighed and looked out past the walls and at the city. "I"ve never been in love, Papa Hector, and maybe I never will be, but when I was with her… she understood me in a way no one else did. She was special and kind and always there. You've always understood me as a man and a musician." Miguel complimented quickly. "But she… she understood what it was like to die young, with so much to offer. She knew what it was like to be belittled because of our age. She knew what it was like to be afraid of losing everything. And she knew… she knew what like to love and not be _in_ love."

Miguel unraveled himself slightly, relaxing his legs and letting his hands fall into his lap. "Maybe we were in love, maybe we were just close friends, I'll never know now. But what I do know is that she was the greatest friend I've ever had, in life and in death. She wasn't a sister or a cousin or a mother, but she was my closest friend and I wouldn't change our friendship for anything or anyone. But now… but now that's gone… now she's gone…"

"Do you really think she'll ever be truly gone?" Hector asked.

Miguel gave him an ugly look and Hector chuckled at his own stupidity.

" _Si_ , I know that's why we call it The Final Death, _mijo_ , but just hear me out. Look, you still love her, don't you?"

Miguel nodded, looking away from Hector.

"And we all cared about her, Miguel." Hector went on, gesturing to the house before them. "It's clear you two were the closest, but we all loved her to some extent and we miss her, too, but as long as we continue to love her, she'll live on in us. That's why in life we strive so hard to remember our family and loved ones; it makes no difference here."

Miguel shook his head and a few tears fell down his cheekbones. "She's gone, Papa Hector. I won't see her when I'm forgotten, she won't see me one day out of the year. She's gone forever."

" _Si_ , but we still have a piece of her with us." Hector explained and wrapped an arm around his grandson. "That's what makes our memories so special, _mijo_. We still have our memories of her, and when someone in our family dies, we can tell them about their Prima Genoveva and how special she was. And you are lucky, Miguel! You were blessed enough to spend time with her before she was forgotten; don't throw away your happy memories of her or your times together just because you miss her. There is still some joy to her name."

Miguel cried and hugged Hector back. He suddenly recalled when he first saw her fight, their first dinner together, when he had nightmares and she helped him, when he force-fed her a churro, when she defeated Ernesto, when they flew on Pepita, when she danced with him, when they sang together, when they swam and ran together. Seeing her again, even only in his memories, he couldn't help but smile, even a little bit.

"I still miss her, Papa Hector." Miguel cried into his grandfather's jacket.

"I know, Miguel." Hector replied, allowing one tear to escape his eye. "I miss her, too." 

* * *

Miguel hadn't touched his notebook in a nearly a week, and has he sat on his bed in blue-jeans and a white t-shirt, he started to put words together, fished from the tangled mess of his mind. He would be okay, he was already doing better, but it still hurt.

He got up and walked to his desk. He picked up his little brown notebook and flicked through it, glancing at old poems and random lyrics waiting to be used. There was an occasional doddle or picture in there, but it was a beautiful mess. He stopped at seeing a photo from a photo-booth tapped into one page.

It was he and Genoveva at the Feria de Santa Cecilia last year. Miguel had treated them to some cheesy pictures at a booth, but they made sure to get Miguel's money's worth out of it. The first was one a normal picture of the two smiling, but the second one had the two doing their most ridiculous faces. For the third one, Genoveva pretended to kiss Miguel on the cheek, but on the fourth one she pretended to gag and Miguel was over exaggerating at how hurt he was by the joke. They hugged each other and grinned at the camera for the fifth picture, and in Miguel's opinion, it was the best one.

It pained him to see the photos and yet he smiled at seeing Genoveva laughing and smiling. He blinked quickly several times and flicked on to find a clean page. As he reached the end, he found a page full of words not in his handwriting. Miguel sat on the bed and read.

 _Miguel,_

 _I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but I didn't want our last day together ruined with everyone worrying about me. It was a wonderful last day and I'm grateful that I got to spend it with my family._

 _You gave me what I never had in life and I'll never be able to thank you enough. You gave me a reason to exist and such love I never found in the Land of the Living. I known this'll found horrible, but I'm glad you died before I was forgotten._

 _Everyone else was wonderful, too. Papa Hector and Mama Imelda were always looking out for me and Tia Rosita was always so patient. Papa Julio and Mama Coco were very kind to me and I'll always love the way Tio Oscar and Tio Felipe made me laugh. Even Tia Victoria seemed to like me to some extent! Please tell them how much I loved them._

 _You are my best and closest friend, Miguel, and I thank you for that. I know I'm probably making you cry, but the idea of leaving you is making me cry, so let's just call it even, okay?_

Miguel laughed and wiped away a tear from his chin.

 _"Keep on smiling and making the underworld a better place with your music, mariachi. I'll always love you._

 _Genoveva._

Miguel couldn't suppress his grin and didn't understand why, since he was also crying. He tried to wipe his tears away and he got an idea for a song.

Later that morning, Hector was the first one up and walked past Miguel's bedroom on his way to the kitchen. He found that the door was open and that Miguel was not in his room. Curious, Hector walked into the kitchen to find that empty, too. He frowned and checked out the front door and finally found his grandson sitting against the tree in the courtyard, his guitar in his arms and his notebook open on his lap.

Hector smiled and couldn't help but look at the notebook. He picked it up and read the message. He looked down at the boy with wet eyes and put the book back down before heading back inside to brew some coffee.

"We loved you, too, Genoveva." Hector muttered to himself, knowing full well no one could hear him.

But still. It couldn't hurt to try.


	10. Epilogue

Elena and Miguel walked down the street towards the market place. It was an excellent way for her to get used to her new home and for the boy and his grandmother to have some personal time together. Elena had a basket in her arm and listened to Miguel's stories of his time in the Land of the Dead, mostly of all the fun he had playing with Hector at the plaza.

"And have you met any new amigos, _mijo_?" Elena asked sweetly.

Miguel's smile dropped a little. His thoughts immediately went back to her, and though it was painful, he remembered her like he had seen her yesterday, rather than over two decades ago. His smile returned and he nodded.

" _Si. Uno_. Her name was Genoveva, and she was the greatest friend I've ever had." Miguel answered and Elena smiled. "She was a brave explorer and fighter, and she showed me that life doesn't end when you're dead. I want you to learn that, too, _abuelita_."

Elena nodded and continued to smile, but could detect the grief in his voice and wondered if this girl had been forgotten. Miguel happily began telling her their story and Elena listened carefully. There was excitement sparkling in his eyes and Elena had to admit that she had not seen that spark the entire time she had been dead.

Above them, by lines of clothes being dried by the mid-day sun, a small blue butterfly watched the Riveras and smiled.

 _"He remembers me."_

The butterfly flew up into the sun-filled sky and was undetected by the underworld, but that was okay. There was peace.

THE END.

* * *

 **Thank you so much for all the views, follows & favorites, and most importantly, the reviews! I actually have more ideas involving Genoveva, so keep an eye out for that. ;) I truly hope you liked it and if you did be sure to tell me in the comments! Thanks again for reading An Untold Legend!**


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